My Only Hope
by TheIrishGilmore
Summary: Charlie/Ruby fic. When Ruby is diagnosed with Leukemia, both Charlie and her daughter find their world being turned upside down. How far will Charlie go to save her daughter's life? Will revisiting the past be the answer she desperatly seeks to find?
1. Chapter 1

**Okay so this a new story I'm working. I'm at a loss at the moment with my other fan fic 'A Mother's Treasure' so I'm leaving it to one side for the time being. But I will be going back to it as soon as I come up some new ideas. Okay so this is an idea I've been tossing about for a while and finally found the time to get started. So I hope you like it and please, rate and review.**

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_"I'm very sorry Ruby", the doctor siad after breaking the devastating news to the teen sitting in front of him. _

_With that, he excused himself from the room. Leaving Ruby to digest what she had just been told. She sat in silence, stunned. Gripping her mothers hand she turned and looked at Charlie, and when she saw the tears that lined her cheeks, she knew that this nightmare was actually reality. The sting of hot tears flushed her eyes and she couldn't hold them back as she replayed in her mind the doctor's words._

_Leukemia. She was slowly dying and she didn't even know it. How could she not have known? Charlie looked at her daughter, her face completely drained of any colour and a fear in her eyes she had never seen before. It made her heart ache, an ache that was so unbearable she could feel it shatter into a million pieces for her precious little girl. Her Ruby, her friend, her daughter, the love of her life, was being killed by a disease that was seeping through her body. Feeling the tight grip on her hand become tighter, Charlie began to understand just how scared Ruby was. Releasing her hand from the death grip it was now in, she put her arm around her daughters shoulder and pulled her into her embrace,_

_Ruby's head fell against Charlie's chest as she lay in her arms. She felt her mother's sothing hand stroke her hair and the rhythmic beating of her heartbeat become rapid as it beat out of her chest in worry for her daughter. Ruby was terrified. Every bone in her body was screaming out that this was it, her life would soon be over. But as she rested her head agianst her mother's chest and felt the loving arms around her tighten their grip, Ruby started to feel safe. Like nothing could harm her._

_Feeling her daughter cling to her, just like a newborn clings to their mother, it finally hit Charlie that her daughter would need her to be strong now more than ever. And at that moment, as she looked down at her weeping daughter, she made a vow that no matter how tough this journey they were about to take would get, she would always be there for Ruby and nothing was going to stop her from doing whatever she could to save her life._

_"I love you so much Rubes", Charlie said as she felt a tear trickle down her face. "We're going to get through this okay? I promise I will do whatever it takes to make you better....I promise", and with that the two Buckton women held each other and thought about the long road ahead......_

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**6 Months Later**

"Ah come on VJ you know I can't do that", Ruby said with a laugh as she tried to repeat the soccer trick he had just shown her.

"Can we play a game of soccer now?", he asked her with pleading looks.

Ruby smiled at the pleading looks he was giving her. They always worked on her, she could never say no when he pulled his puupy dog face,

"Alright, bring it on", she said trying to sound like a confident soccer pro.

Leah watched from the window as Ruby and VJ messed about in the back garden, both trying to out do the other with their soccer skills. She looked at young Ruby. It tugged on her heart strings to think that such a happy-go-lucky teenager who always looked after her health, was now slowly deteriorating before their very eyes. She thought about the nights she sat up with Charlie and watched as her friend sobbed for hours for her daughter. Leah loved Ruby like her own and to see her being put through the ringer was upsetting. Especially when chemo took it's toll.

Runing after VJ, Ruby suddenly stopped, her head began to feel dizzy and started feeling light on her feet. A nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach started to take hold. As she watched VJ run on, suddenly she lost her balance and fell to the ground, clinging to th grass. VJ cheered as he scored another goal, but when he turned around he was panic stricken by what he saw. Peering through the window to check how things were going, Leah's face dropped when she saw Ruby lying on the grass.

Bursting out of the back door, she ran towards the teenager and knelt down beside her stroking her back.

"Ruby, Ruby it's Leah", she said trying not to startle the younger Buckton. "Come sweetheart we're going to get inside the house okay", she said as she gently tried to ease the unsteady teen onto her feet.

Walking into the house, everything around Ruby felt strange, a weird sensation ran throughout her body. Suddenly it felt like all the energy in her body just suddenly disappeared. Reaching her room, Leah helped her climb into her bed. Laying there with her head propped against the extra fluffy pillows, she found herself drifting in and out of consiousness. Leah stood up and walked over to the door, taking one last glance at Ruby, and then exiting, closing the door over behind as she left.

That evening Charlie arrived home feeling pretty hard done by that she had to remain in work when there was nothing there to do except complain. Walking through the back door, she was greeted by Leah who was preparing dinner. She gave a small wave as she dumped her handbag on the ground under the small lamp stand out of the way. Looking around she noticed that the house was quiet, which was unusal as for the last few days it had been chaotic with Ruby and VJ running about. It made Charlie happy to see Ruby having good days like that. Seeing her ill and barely able to do anything upset her deeply.

"Hey, where is everyone?", she asked her housemate as she peered through the living room,

Leah put the knife she was using and stopped what she was doing. Rubbung her hands in her apron she turned to Charlie.

"Eh, Charlie, we had a bit of a problem today", she said trying to ease into the converstation. "Ruby and VJ were playing soccer early and I think it took it out of her a little bit...she collapsed", she finished.

"What?", Charlie said as she took of her coat and fllung it onto the couch as she made her way towards Ruby's room.

Walking up to the door, she stopped and knocked. From the other side she heard a very faint reply and entered the room to complete darkness. Charlie knew this was a sign that all was not well. Ruby only slept in the dark when she had really bad migrane headaches and that was usually accompanied by a full on nose bleed. Flicking on the small bedside lamp so she could see, Charlie say her daughter lying on her side on the bed.

Sitting down beside her, Charlie placed a hand in Ruby's side, encouraging her to roll over, and with that gesture she did. Charlie's face fell as she saw the blood that was pouring out of Ruby's nose. Putting an arm under her daughter, she gently lifted her to help her into a slightly more upright position. Leaning over to the box of tissues on the bedside locker she pulled out a small handful and placing one hand behind Ruby's head, she gently held the tissues against the younger Bucktons nose

"Is that better?", she asked her daughter as she looked her up and down to make sure everything else seemed okay.

The younger girl just simply nodded, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"I'm sorry Charlie", she said as she placed her hand onto of the one her mother was holding against her nose.

"Hey you have nothing to be sorry for, you hear me?", she stated as she inched closer to her daughter.

"I know but, you shouldn't be obligated to look after me like this, it's not fair", Ruby said sadly as she thought of all the time Charlie had given up to be with her, either in a medical matter or just to be there to comfort Ruby and hold her when she was having one of her bad days. Her mother had practically given up her own life to take care of her. Even puutting her relationship with Angelo in serious conflict.

"Now listent to me. Rubes I don't do this out of some stupid obligation. I do it because I love you more than anyone or anything in this world and because I want to", she said firmly, her love and affection for her daughter evident across her face.

"Okay", Ruby nodded.

With that she leaned into her mother's embrace Charlie's embrace tightening on her as she did so. Rocking her back and forth, she gently kissed the top of her daughter's bald head.

"I love you", Charlie said resting her head on top of Ruby's head as she thought about Ruby's chemo appointment the following day. A sadness washed over her and she clung to her daughter to find the strength to get through another day. Just as Ruby clung to her mother to find the fight to keep on living. Neither willing to let this cancer ravage her.

"I love you too".


	2. Chapter 2

Rubes, sweetie, are you up?", Charlie called through the door.

Today was the beginning of Ruby's next round of chemo and the start of what would be an exhausting, emotionally draining couple of weeks. Charlie remembered the last round of chemo, all the hours spent in the hospital trying to pass the time while Ruby was being turned inside out by the gruelling side effects of the drugs pumping through her system. There were times she sobbed her heart out because she physically and mentally could not take anymore of it.

So many times Charlie had wished she could go through it for her daughter. Wished that she could take away some of the anguish and emotional burden that Ruby carried with her everytime she had to lie in that hospital bed and spend hours hurling into a plastic basin and hoping the pounding in her head would just stop. Today was the beginning of a routine that would burn out both Buckton women. But neither would stop fighting while there was still hope.

Knocking again, she entered, stepping into the room quietly. Looking over at the bed she found Ruby lying on her side facing her, eyes bloodshot and her face completely drained of any colour. She looked at her mother, eyes only half open. Barely able to say anything as her energy levels just seemed to disappear altogether. Charlie walked over to the bed and sat down beside her daughter, stoking her forehead and grabbing a hold of one of her hands.

"Baby, sweetie, are okay?", Charlie asked her concern for Ruby clearly showing on her face.

"Charlie, I can't do this again", Ruby said, a defeated to tone to her frail voice breaking through as she tried to hold back her tears.

Charlie wanted to scream at her daughter in that moment. The idea of Ruby giving up to much for her to even try to comprehend. There was no way she was ever going to except Ruby not living, she was not going to bury her own child, not now, not ever. Right then she wanted to scoop Ruby up in her arms and shake. Tell her she was going to fight. But another part of her, the rational part of her, was telling her that deep down she knew there would come a point where Ruby couldn't take it anymore.

The chemo, the leukemia. It was all too much. She was only sixteen years old. She was still only a child. Charlie leaned down and engulfed Ruby in her arms, sitting her upright, almost pulling her onto her lap. She cradled her daughter in her arms like a child, resting Ruby's head against her chest. As she did so, Ruby let out a groan, her head still hurt and all the movement wasn't helping. While Ruby clung to her mother's arm, Charlie showered her with kisses, on the top of her head, on her cheek and then on the temple.

It was holding Ruby in her arms that Charlie subsided her anger, she needed to motivate her daughter to keep fighting. She knew it was going to be tough and she knew that the side effects would wear down Ruby's spirits. But she had to fight. If not for herself then for Charlie. She needed her daughter in her life more than anybody else. Charlie knew she was a closed book to almost everyone. The only person she ever opened up to was Ruby. Even Angelo could seem to break down the barriers. At least not completely.

Who would she turn to if Ruby was gone? Who could ever fill that void left in her life? But not only her life, her heart? Charlie could cope with her mother's death, she could cope with the idea of her father losing his mind and fading away, she could cope with losing Angelo. But losing Ruby would be more than unbearable. They had only just arrived at a comfortable point in their relationship where Charlie could be an actual mother to Ruby when the leukemia diagnosis was delivered. She refused to lose let her daughter slip through her fingers before she had the chance to do that.

"Rubes, I know your scared, and I know that the pain you feel is worse than I could even bear to think about. But I need you to be strong, for me. Because I need you to live. Sweetie, I can't go on without you in my life. So I need you to fight....for me", Charlie said with a determination she had never felt or experienced before.

Ruby looked up at her mother, still clinging to her out of fear. Gazing into her eyes she could see the determination and the love that Charlie was generating and somehow, it gave her a feeling of inner strength to make it through today's session. Ruby loved Charlie so much. It hurt her to think that her own illness was causing her mother so much pain and heartache. That's why she needed to fight. She needed to do it for her mother if not for herself.

"Okay", was all she could manage. But that was all Charlie needed to hear.

Giving Ruby one last kiss, she gently helped her daughter out of bed and out to the kitchen. She knew Ruby wouldn't be able to stomach food and that whatever she did eat would just come back up in chemo. But she needed to eat, she needed the physical strength to at least get her to the hospital. She knew by Ruby's expression that every mouthful was proving too much. But she wouldn't be satisfied until she was sure she had enough to keep her going.

A couple of hours later Ruby was lying in one of the beds enduring he first of the many chemo sessions she would have to endure. And as was the case the first time around, the first session proved to be the toughest as her body tried to adjust to the draining treatment it was being put through. The only problem she had besides the chemo and the disease was the chest catheter in her chest. At times she found it very uncomfortable she hated having to look at it while she dressed in the mornings. It made her feel like a freak. Although at least it culd be hidden. Her bald head was a little more obvious.

The gazes she would recieve from complete strangers, looks of sympathy, curiosity, while she could understand that people didn't mean to stare, she still found it quite humiliating. No matter what her Charlie or Leah, Nicole or Xavier, or whoever else said, she still felt the same way. But at least she could run away from that. What she could escape was the overwhelming nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach. The sign that the drugs were really beginning to kick into gear.

The whole time they had been at the hospital, Charlie never left her side. She remained seated by the bed, stroking Ruby's hair. Trying to sooth her. Again the crippling fear she fought every day began eating away. Even though she tried desperatly to push the thoughts to the back of her mind, every now and then she could help but find herself questioning Ruby's chances of survival. That scared, more than anything. Holding onto her daughters hand, she felt the grip on it intensify as another nauseous wave hit her.

"It's okay baby, just breath through it", she said as she dabbed Ruby's forehead with a towel.

Just then, Dr. Parker walk into the room. He smiled at Ruby as he walked over and stood near to where Charlie was seated.

"Hey Ruby, are you okay? I know chemo's tough but....", Ruby cut him off

"....it get's easier as your body begins to adjust to it, I know you said that last time", she finished tring to smile back at him.

"Haha yeah and like last time I was right", he replied trying to lighten the mood. "Charlie, could I have a word with you outside for a moment?".

"Sure", she said as she placed the towel down on the bed.

Standing up she leaned down and told Ruby she wouldn't be long before giving her a quick kiss. Following Dr. Parker out of the room, she closed the door behind her and stood in the corridor waiting for him to talk. He looked down at the file in his hand and then back at Charlie. Gesturing for her to sit in the vacant seats the lined the wall. Charlie took a seat and sat next to Dr. Parker. She felt uneasy and had a feeling she wasn't going to like what she was about to hear.

"We need to start looking at bone marrow transplant for Ruby", he said.

Charlie sat there in silence. She had heard what the doctor had said but she just couldn't get her head around it. She didn't expect this to happen so soon. Fidgeting with her hands she looked back up at the doctor. A million questions were running through her mind but she but there were only a small few she really wanted to focus on. She started with the most obvious one.

"Where will the doner come from?", she asked.

"Well, in most cases we like to test family members first. Now I am by no means saying this always the case. In fact it only occurs in 25-30% of cases. But siblings of leukemic patients are sometimes a match. You don't have any other children do you?", he said more as a statement than a question.

Charlie shook her head informing the doctor that she didn't. But just as she was about to fall into a silent panic, it hit her like a tonne of bricks. While Ruby didn't have any maternal siblings, she did in fact have two paternal siblings. Grants children. Somehow the whole concept seemed wrong. In one way it seemed sick and twisted that Ruby's hope of survival was linked to Grant. In another, she was desperate to hold onto her daughter.

But could she do it? Could she really revisit the past? Did she have it in her to even ask for Grant's wife to even consider the idea? She didn't owe them anything. They took away her husband, the father of her children. Even though Grant deserved to be punished. They didn't deserve to have their family torn apart. But that's what happened and although they too were hurting, Charlie knew deep down that Tracy would blame them.

Suddenly her mind began to race. Questions swirled around like a whirlpool, making her head spin and causing her more grief than she would like. But they were questions she needed to answer. Was she ready to revisit the past? If she wanted to save Ruby's life, it was something she would have to do. Walking back into the room, she sat on the bed next to Ruby. Leaning down she planted a kiss on her forehead and then picked up her hand stroking it. Looking at her daughter, everything feel into place. She knew exactly what she had to do and she was going to do it.


	3. Chapter 3

Sitting in the kitchen, nursing a now cold cup of coffee, Charlie's mind had drifted off into obscurity as she thought about what the doctor had talked to her about earlier. She knew that Ruby's best hope of a match would be from that of a sibling. But the idea of knocking on the door of her dead rapists widow wife and asking her to allow a bunch of doctors take samples from her children, it just seemed completely surreal and unrealistic. Even sound of it made the idea seem like some fake real life tv movie..

But what wasn't fake was the fact that every second that she spent contemplating the idea, Ruby was slowly being consumed by her illness. Every inch of Charlie's being screamed at her to stand up, be a mother and fight for her childs life. But then there was the realist in her that quietly reasoned with her that while it was only natural to want to do whatever she had to in order to make Ruby better, she still had to ask the question, could she really put someone elses child through that ordeal, even if it might make her own daughter better?

Charlie turned at looked at the table beside the food storage room that was used to put their keys on. Leah had put picture frames on it to make it look presentable, pictures of family, friends and of their house party a while back. One of the frames held a picture of Charlie, Ross, Morag and Ruby. She looked at it sadly. While she loved Morag and considered her part of the family, she could never replace the void left behind by Charlie's own mother. She missed her terribly and in tough times like this, she wished she were around to be her tower of strength, her words of wisdom, her guiding light.

Then there was Ross. Although he was still alive, held in a secure facility for murdering Grant, his mind was deteriorating day by day and sooner rather than later he too would be gone. Which only left Ruby. While it was hard letting go of her parents, the thought of ever having to let go of her own daughter was more than Charlie could take. Ruby was all she had left and most days, it felt like Ruby was all she needed. As long as her daughter was happy, healthy and doing well in life, Charlie didn't need anything else. She didn't need her career or Angelo, just the love of her daughter.

And she had that, more than she would ever know. But if Ruby didn't get the help she needed and fast, she didn't know how much longer she would that love for. Standing up, she picked up he cup and brought it over to the sink, emptying out the remainder of her coffee and rinsing out the cup. Picking up the towel she dried off the cup and placed it on the rack on the counter with the rest. Folding up the towel, she placed it back down and then turned to make her way to the living room.

Just then a knock at the door stopped her in her tracks and she moved towards it to open it. There in the doorway stood Angelo in his police uniform, He smiled when he saw her, a twinkle in his eye, but Charlie didn't notice. Stepping back she allowed him to enter and they sat down at the kitchen counter. It was only at that moment that she realised just how uncomfortable the knew high stools were. Angelo grabbed a hold of her hand.

"How are you doing?", he asked, genuinely concerned for her.

"I'm fine, but then I'm not the one fighting cancer and sitting through chemo", she said sounding irritated by the question.

"Yeah but that doesn't mean your fine Charlie, Your daughter ill, that must have some effect on you?", he replied trying to get her to open up to him,

Charlie looked at him with a look of annoyance spread clearly present. How could he ask such a stupid question. Then again it wasn;t uncommon for him to say idiotic things. It seemed to something that came quite naturally to him.

"Of course it has an effect on me Angelo. My daughter's slowly dying and I'll I can do is sit back and watch. Every single day", she said. "It hurts, it pains me to watch her struggle when I know there is nothing I can do about it", tears began to build up in her eyes and her voice started to shake as she continued. "Ruby is the one thing in my life that has been constant, and good. There are times I sit and wonder, how was I blessed with such an amazing daughter who makes me proud every day? She is the one thing in this world that means everything to me and the idea of losing her , it......", she trails off unable to speak.

Angelo looked at her, feeling slightly dejected by the her last statement. He always felt deep down that he loved Charlie, more than she could ever love him. It was a fact he learned to live with because he just wanted to hold onto her. But to hear her more or less point out the obvious, didn't make him feel good. As he sat there he realised that Charlie was slipping away from him. It had been happening snce before Ruby's diagnosis, but with everything that was going on he thought she would fall back into his arms so he could be her knight in shining armour, a shoulder to cry on.

Instead, things seemed as distant and cold as they had before. Like Charlie was settling for second best rather than being alone. But know she was starting to find her own two feet and Angelo felt like he was quickly becoming cast aside. He knew he had to make some grand gesture to win her over again, but what? He couldn't propose marriage because he knew that would be too big a commitment for Charlie. He couldn't whisk her off on a romantic holiday as Charlie needed to be with Ruby. Then it hit him. He grabbed both her hands.

"Move in with me", he said with a firm tone to his voice.

"What?", Charlie replied, not knowing whether it was some big joke she wasn't in on.

"I'm serious. We can get a place together, you, me, Ruby. I can help you take care of her", he stated trying to convince her of what he had just said.

"You seriously think that's going to work? That you could look after her?", she asked as she stood up and walked into the living room, folding her arms across her chest as she stood by the couch.

Angelo stood up and followed her, stopping in front of her and placing a hand on her folded arms.

"Yeah I do", he said with confidence.

Just then the door to Ruby's bedroom opened and out stepped the frail, shaken teenager, stagger along against the walls as she desperatly tried to get to the bathroom. Charlie looked up and saw her daughter struggling and bounded after her, worry setting in instantly. Angelo stepped back slightly shocked, He'd never seen Ruby look that bad. Snapping out of his daze, he quickly followed suit to the bathroom and stopped at the doorway.

Peering in, he found Ruby on a heap on the floor hurling up everything left in her system, while Charlie kneeled down beside her clutching her around the waist to keep her daughter upright over the toilet bowl. When Ruby was finished she collapsed into her mother's embrace, her head spinning, unable to move. Charlie wrapped her in her arms dabbing away the traces of blood from Ruby's nose. She turned and looked at Angelo who was staring at them both in an anxious sweat.

"Angelo get me a damp cloth", she said as she stroked Ruby's forehead. Turning back she saw Angelo still standing in the doorway. "ANGELO NOW!!", she snapped, frightening a dazed and confused Ruby who clung to her with whatever energy she had.

Angelo rooted around for a face cloth. Finally finding one, he dampened it with cold water and handed it to Charlie who snatched it from him. Annoyed by his presence. Dabbing Ruby's forehead with the cloth she listened as the young girl grunted, falling in and out of consiousness. Then she looked up at Angelo and began to speak.

"You really think you can look after her?", she said and looked as he stood there in silence unable to answer. "Didn't think so", she finished and then turned her attention back to her daughter.

With that Angelo walked out, realising he had failed yet again to win Charlie over. He couldn't let her go but he didn't know how to hold onto someone who didn't want to held on to. Rubbing his head in frustration, he kicked the bind outside the house and then jumped in his car, Speeding off down the road towards his home.

Back inside, Charlie scooped Ruby up and helped her to her room. Once inside, she placed the teenager back into her bed. Removing her shoes, Charlie climbed in beside her daughter, not wanting to leave her alone on that night. Pulling the blanket up, she cuddled up next to her daughter and grabbed a hold of one of her hands. She kissed Ruby on the top of the head and then watched over her as she slept. Tomorrow would be another stressful day but in that moment, Charlie basked in the peacefulness of watching her baby sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Lying in the bed, staring at Charlie as she slept peacefully beside her, Ruby smiled. Ever since her diagnosis her mother had been on twenty four hour alert. She never relaxed, she always looked worried and stressed. Ruby hardly ever saw Charlie smile anymore. It was like she was afraid to be seen to be happy when her daughter was being slowly killed by a disease seeping through her body. There wasn't really much to be happy about.

But regardless of it all, Ruby wanted Charlie to be happy. She wanted to see her smile. Ruby never expected the disease to have such an effect on the people around her. But it had and that pained her even more than the chemotherapy. Deep down Ruby knew that there was a good chance that she could die much sooner in her life than she would like. And although she hated the thought of it, wanted she wanted more than anything was to make sure that if her time did come, that Charlie knew how much she loved her and that she wanted her to go on and live a happy and full life.

Watching as her mother slept, Ruby cherished the moment with all her heart, because she knew that once Charlie awoke from the peaceful slumber she lay in, that she would instantly snap back into protective mother mode. As Ruby lay there in bed with her head rested against her mothers, she felt Charlie begin to twist and turn as she lowly began to wake. Charlie stretched her arms and then rubbed her eyes, adjusting them to the bright light. She looked beside her and found her daughter was also awake and gently stroked her cheek with the back of her hand.

"Hey, are you okay? Did I wake you?", Charlie asked as she shifted herself into an upright position.

"No I, I couldn't sleep anyways so I thought I'd read", Ruby lied, pointing to the book on the bedside cabinet.

Charlie nodded and half smiled as she gazed at her daughter. After last night she had expected to find Ruby still fighting nausea but was amazed to find her rather settled in herself on this particular morning. Thinking back to last night, Charlie remembered the fight with Angelo. Even though she would like to actually remain in a relationship for more than a few months and things with Angelo seemed okay, she couldn't help but push him away. Ruby was her number one priority and after last night she knew Angelo wasn't prepared to care for a cancer stricken teenager. As she sat there she could feel her daughter's eyes gazing at her.

"Charlz, about that fight you and Angelo had last night that wasn't because of me was it?", Ruby asked.

"No,of course not......", Charlie was cut off as Ruby sensed that she was lying to spare her feelings.

"Charlie, you don't have to lie, just tell me the truth", Ruby said as she reached for her mother's hand.

"Angelo wanted us to get a place together. He wanted to help take care of you", Charlie said running her fingers through her hair.

"And that irritated you how exactly?", Ruby asked confused.

"Because it was Angelo being Angelo. Making big gestures thinking it will make things better. Only he got a wake up call when he saw you yesterday. I think the idea of taking care of you seemed like a good idea because he wanted to please me. Instead he saw what being responsible full time actually meant", Charlie finished.

Ruby nodded. She could understand where Charlie was coming from. Angelo had a thing for acting on impulse and then thinking things through afterwards. It usually got him in more trouble than he anticipated. But at the same time, she wanted Charlie to forgive him. If anything happened to her, she didn't want Charlie to wallow in misery like she usually would and end up lonely. However she didn't want to challenge Charlie because she knew when it came to Angelo, things were better left to sort themselves out.

"Charlie, what were you and Dr. Paker talking about the other day?", Ruby asked.

Charlie flinched. She didnt' know what to say. She knew she had to tell Ruby about the converstation she had had but she was hoping to put it off until she had managed to get her own head around it. Especially the part about having to talk to Tracy. Looking at Ruby, she knew by the expression on her face that she wasn't going to let up on this. She had to bite tha bullet. No matter how much it hurt her to.

"Rubz, Dr. Parker says that it looks like you'll be needing a bone marrow transplant soon. The thing is they say that he most likely match for you is a.......a sibling", Charlie managed to get.

"Grants kids", Ruby said, knowing instantly where Charlie was going with this. Saying her biological fathers name made her feel more nauseous than the chemo.

Charlie nodded looking at her daughter. Then she bowed her head and let out the tears that had been threatening to fall since they had started this talk. She leaned back her head an looked up to the heavens, wiping away the tears in her cheeks. She reached down and cupped Ruby's hands in her own and searched for the words she wanted to say. Instead she chose, for once, to be honest with her daughter

"I know what I have to do Rubz.....I just don't know how to do it", Charlie as she began to sob uncontrollably.

"Shhhh....", Ruby said trying to sooth her mother.

"NO...no, I'm your mother. I should be able to do this", Charlie said almost in shouting the words as she spoke. "I can't lose you....you're my baby....I can't lose you....".

With that Charlie finally broke down and fell into the embrace of her daughter. Allowing her tears to fall freely for the first time in months. As she did so Ruby wrapped her arms around her mother and held her tightly. For the first time since her diagnosis, she got a real sense of just how scared Charlie really was of losing her and it broke her heart. As they sat there, Ruby let a tear fall down her cheek as she cilently contemplated what the future would hold. And a feeling of darkness overcame her, unnerving her the more she dare to think about it.


	5. Chapter 5

Sitting on the beach, staring out at the clear blue waters in front of her, Ruby felt like for the first time in a long time, she was herself again. All her worries and stresses seemed a million miles away. For once she felt almost normal again. Over the last six months, Ruby had to think about things a lot more logically, a lot more carefully. In fact it seemed like all she did was think and analyse. About if she would get better, about things she still wants to do with her life and about the people she cared for so deeply.

For she knew that as hard as it was for her going through the illness, it was hard on the people she cared about having to watch her having to fight for her life every single day. Although it is a terrible thing to think, at times Ruby couldn't help but wonder if she were better off dead. At least then she would be free of this disease, and everybody could move on with their lives and not have to fuss around her. But then they reminded her that they needed her in their lives a lot more than she would ever know.

She thought about her friends, Nicole, Romeo, Xavier, even April who she had become friendly with over the last couple of months. How supportive they had all been. Nicole especially. They were best friends. They confided everything in each other. At times they found it hard to believe that they once hated each other. Now, they couldn't have been closer if they tried. Charlie had even taken to Nicole like a surrogate mother. Offering her advice and helping her out of tricky situations. It felt nice to see the people she really cared about looking out for one another.

And Charlie. Ever since she was a little girl, Ruby had always felt this bond with Charlie that she could never explain. They were extremely close, closer than most sisters. She just put it down to the fact that Charlie was always protecting her, helping her with home work, comforting her when she was upset over a boy. She told Charlie everything and she always felt like no matter what she said, it was safe in the knowledge that Charlie would keep the secret to herself. Then when she finally found out the truth about her parentage, it all made sense. The person she loved the most was her mother.

After everything they had been through Ruby thought that they would finally be able to have a normal relationship again. Before they had almost completely fallen apart. Ruby thought she would never be able to have a close connection to Charlie again and it broke her heart. But she realised how strong their bond was. Even through the really rough patches, she still felt that bond they shared and eventually they did find their way back to each other. Their relationship slowly began to heal and they felt this new depth to their closeness.

The way Charlie had single handidly taken to looking after Ruby, showed her just how much love and affection her mother had for her. Ruby had this whole new admiration for her and that's what gave her the strength to fight every day. She wanted to do this for Charlie. She wanted to be able to give Charlie the chance to be a proper mother to her like she had always wanted. Nothing was going to stop her now. Charlie had given her so much her whole life. The best way she could to repay her at this moment...was to fight for her life.

And that's what Ruby would do. Fight. She would give it everythig she had and a little bit more. But she also knew deep down, that if it turned out she was fighting a battle she couldn't win, that was okay. She had come go to terms with death and the concept that it is final a long time ago. If her time were to come and she had done all she could do to beat the leukemia, then she would gracefully except her faith and peacefully. She just hoped that if or when it happens, everybody else would move on gracefully with her.

Checking the time on her watch, she realised she had been sitting there for half an hour and with the current state of her immune system, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to risk spending anymore time there. Shakily, she stood up and wiped off the sand that had stuck to her. Looking at the direction of home she stopped. If she returned home Leah would have her sent straight to bed for rest from the days chemo session. Turning and facing the opposite direction she thought about going to see Charlie. She knew her mother would not be happy about her burning up her energy like this but she really wanted to talk to her. With her mind made up, Ruby set off in the direction of the police station.

A little over a half hour later Ruby arriver at her destination. It used to take her fifteen minutes to get there, but with her lack of energy, the constant feeling of being sick and the chemo treatment taking it's toll on her body, moving slowly was the only way she could move at all. Attempting to walk to the reception desk, she stumbled a little. Her legs feeling as if they were about to snap underneath her. Constable Avery was behind the desk and he looked at the sick teenager in front of him. Ruby clung to the desk as she spoke.

"Is Ch...Charlie here?", she asked clearly out of breath.

Avery was about to speak when Charlie walked out of her office. Her nose buried in a file. Looking up she spotted Ruby standing staring at her, looking like she was ready to collapse. Closing the file she ran over to Ruby, she flung the file at Avery and latched her arm around her daughter's waist, steadying her on her feet and taking the weight off. Turning to face a concerned Avery, Charlie asked him to fetch a glass of water and bring it to her office.

"Rubes, what the hell are you doing here? You should be home resting", she said with a stern yet compassionate tone to her voice. as she sat her daughter down in her office chair.

"I know, I'm sorry I just had to talk to you", she said resting her head against her hand at Charlie's desk.

"What's so important you couldn't wait until I got home? Your ill you should be burning yourself out like this", she said just as Avery walked in with the glass of water. Thanking him she handed the glass to Ruby but kept her grasp on it in case Ruby didn't have the strength to do so on her own. Charlie pulled the empty chair beside the wall over to the desk next to Ruby noticing that her daughter looked upset and uneasy. "Baby what's wrong? Come on tell me, your making me worry", she said as she took Ruby's hand in her own.

"I don't want you to track down Grant's kids", Ruby said in one swift breath. "I know you've been digging into it and I know about the chances that they're a bone marrow match. But I don't want you to do this", she said looking at the hurt in Charlie's eyes.

"Rubes this isn't up for discussion. I know where they're living and I've already arranged to meet Tracy this weekend and that's final", Charlie replied with a look of sheer determination that could not be broken.

"But what your asking them to do isn't fair. They don't owe us anything. Their only kids it isn't fair to ask them to do this", Ruby said with genuine compassion for the well being of the children.

"No Rubes what isn't fair is waking up every morning to find your daughter can't get out of bed in the morning because she's too ill. What isn't fair is watching doctors poke needles into you and pump you so full of drugs to the point that you feel so sick all you can do is cry. What isn't fair is that I could lose the only thing in my life that actual means something to me. That I love unconditional. That's what isn't fair", Charlie said. A tear fell down her cheek as she looked at a visibly shaken Ruby. "As long as I have hope I'm not giving up on this. I can't give up on this".

"Charlie please don't do this to them", Ruby replied her face now drenched in tears. "I know that if you don't I'll die. But that's okay. I'm okay with that. I've accepted it. Just please leave this be".

"NO!", Charlie shouted, causing Ruby to look jump back in her seat. "You will not die. I won't allow it. Christ, you're sixteen years old you have your whole life ahead of you and I will not allow that to be cut short. Do you hear me? I love you and I am going to fight for this. I'm going to fight for you", Charlie said as she kneeled in front of Ruby.

Looking Charlie straight in the eye, Ruby could see that fire that burned there. That fire that was always ignited in Charlie when she was fighting for something she was passionate about. But she could also see the hurt, the fear and the love that cascaded down her mothers cheeks as tears and it was then she realised that there was no stopping Charlie. At that moment Ruby placed her fate in her other's hands.

"Okay", Ruby said. And with that Charlie pulled Ruby into her embrace and they hugged each other tightly. Neither one loosening their grip on the other.


	6. Chapter 6

As she arrived at the back door, Charlie could hear the laughter of two teenage girls coming from the living room through the barely open window in the kitchen. Leaning against the back door, she inhaled a large breath, trying to collect her thoughts and pull her emotions into order. Finally she managed to gather herself together. Opening the back door she entered the kitchen, throwing her handbag down by the small lamp stand and placing her car keys on it. The sound of Ruby's voice calling Leah gave her the motivation to make an appearance.

When she entered the living room she was greeted by Nicole and her daughter who were laughing hysterically at the television. Charlie leaned against the door frame and began to laugh at them. The young girls were laughing so hard they had tears streaming down their faces. It amazed Charlie how, even though Ruby was fighting leukemia and even through the chemo, her daughter could still laugh, still cry, still live life like any other person. She realised she had truly underestimated the strength of the human spirit.

Although Ruby did have her bad days and when they were bad, they were really bad. But when she picked herself back up, the strength she showed was incredible. Charlie felt like Ruby was a blessing, sent to save her. To make her a better person. And she did. In so many ways. For that Charlie was grateful. Even though being raped traumatised Charlie and she held so much hate and anger around Grant and that day, she never resented Ruby. In fact if Charlie in a twisted way of looking at it was grateful. For if Grant had not have assaulted her, and she had not become pregnant, shew ould not have Ruby. And to Charlie, a life without Ruby, was not a life worth living.

"Hey do you guys want a coffee? I'm just going to put a pot", Charlie asked as the two girls continued laughing.

"Ah, yeah that'd be great thanks", Nicole said as she turned to face Charlie and then facing Ruby

"Um, actually my stomach's not in the best way at the moment, could you make me green tea instead?", Ruby asked as she turned to her concerned loking mother.

"Yeah sure. Are you okay? Do you want to lie down?", Charlie asked as she crossed the room and kneeled down beside the couch where Ruby was sitting.

"No I'm fine, I just don't think coffee would really agree with me right now", she said squeezing her mother's arm to reassure her.

Charlie looked between Ruby and Nicole. Her daughter's best friend gave her a sympathic smile, she herself had already tried convincing Ruby to rest. But they both knew full well that when Ruby was having one of her more better days, she wanted to make the most of it. Even if she was putting on a brave face at times. Turning back to face Ruby, Charlie placed her hand on her daughter's knee and rubbed it in a soothing manner.

"Okay, It'll be ready in a few. Shout if you want anything else alright", she said as she stood up, planting a kiss on Ruby's forehead and making her way into the kitchen.

When she arrived at the kitchen counter, Charlie filled the kettle with water, and then removed three mugs from the cup rack. While waiting for the kettle to boil she walked over to the tall kitchen table and sat down on one of the stools. Burying her head in her hands. She felt emotionally drained. It was only three o'clock on the afternoon but already Charlie had acknowledged she had been through the worst day ever. Well, the worst day since Ruby's diagnosis. Two hours ago Charlie had received a blow that could tear her world apart. Her mind drifted to the very moment it happened...

_..."No way! There is no way I'm allowing any doctors to stick needles in my kids for the possibility that they might be a match", Tracy yelled as she slammed her hand down on the table. "My family had been through hell because of you and your meddling daughter. Why should we help her?", she said almost as a rhetorical question._

_Charlie sat across from Tracy tears welling up in her eyes. She knew this was never going to be some fairytale outcome. Tracy was right. Her family didn't owe them anything. Why should her kids be put through that? Suddenly Ruby's plea to leave the kids out of the whole thing echoed through her mind. But then she thought to herself, why should Ruby have to fight such a disease? Why should she suffer daily when she could easily be relieved of her misery? Although she knew it was a long shot she couldn't give up now. She had worked too hard trying to track Tracy down._

_"Please. My daughter is dying. The longer she has to wait for a compatible donor, the shorter her life becomes", Charlie replied, almost getting down on her knees to beg as Tracy stood up. "I'm desperate. Please. I can't lose my daughter. I just...I can't", Charlie finished as a tear finally fell down her cheek._

_Tracy looked down at Charlie. Although she hated what the woman had doen to her family, as a mother herself, she sympathised with her. If it were her kids she would be doing the exact same thing. She would do anything for them. But she couldn't get passed what her family had been through and that was enought to make her mind up for her._

_"I'm sorry...I can't", Tracy said before walking out of the cafe and down the street._

_Charlie watched on as her hopes walked out the door and her fears walked in. Suddenly reality slapped her in the face. It wasn't just Ruby who was fighting a losing battle, she was too. There was only so much she could do for her daughter and the most important part of that had just walked away leaving her empty handed and feeling faithless. It was more than she could take. Feeling the tears begin to well up, Charlie picked her bag and dashed out of the cafe. The only thing she could think of doing now, was holding her daughter..._

"Charlie, hey", Leah said as she burst through the door and into the kitchen, "I thought you were down the coast to meet up with Tracy?", she asked as she dashed around the kitchen.

"I was, I just got back", Charlie replied with a rather dejected tone to her voice as she wiped away the stray tear that had fallen.

Leah stopped at the table in the middle of the kitchen and looked at her clearly upset friend. Placing a hand on Charlie's shoulder she gave it a squeeze.

"I take it things with Tracy didn't turn out well", Leah said a low voice as not to alert Ruby and Nicole to their conversation.

"That's the understatement of the year", Charlie replied trying to make light of the conversation topic but failing miserably. "She won't agree to. She doesn't want to put the kids through it. Not that I blame her I mean it's not like her family owes us anything", Charlie said as another tear rolled down her cheek.

"Well look, just because Tracy won't allow the kids to it doesn't mean that's the end of it. I mean there could be other donor matches out there", Leah tried to reassure her friend, "You've just got to stay strong nd keep fighting. For Ruby", she finished.

Charlie looked up at Leah and smiled. She was right there could be other donors out there. Anyways Charlie couldn't be defeated. Ruby needed her to be strong. If her daughter was going to keep fighting this she would need her mother to be able to be there for her. To comfort her. And that's what she was going to do. She was going to keep fighting with her daughter. She stood up and the two women embraced. Charlie thanked Leah for her words of encouragement and then watched as her houemate dashed out the door and headed for work.

Walking over to the kitchen counter, Charlie made up the pot of coffee and the green tea. Just as she was about to pour the coffee, Nicole walked into the kitchen and picked up he handbag.

"Hey Charlie, sorry I've gotta go", Nicole said as she went over to where Charlie was standing.

"Oh, okay, well do you want a lift home?", Charlie asked as she put down the coffee pot and turned to face the younger girl.

"No thanks it's okay. I'm meeting Miles and Romeo at the diner anyways. I'll drop by the hospital tomorrow to see Ruby during chemo", Nicole said. "I'll see you later".

"Bye", Charlie replied as she watched Nicole walk out the door.

Turning back to the counter she decided against the coffee and opted to have green tea with Ruby. Placing the cups and the teapot on the carrier tray she picked it up and walked into the living room to find Ruby wrapped up in the throw off the back of the couch. Putting the tray down on the coffee table, Ruby sat up to make room for her mother to sit beside her. Moving the cushion, Charlie sat down poured out the tea, handing Ruby a cup and then taking her own in her hands. As she sat back, her daughter snuggled into her side and remaind that way as they watched television.

Suddenly Charlie's phone rang. Removing it from her pocket she looked at the caller ID and Angelo's name flashed across the screen. Her finger hovered over the answer button, but Charlie didn't feel like having another argument. Finally she hit the reject button and placed her phone down on the table.

"Who was that?", Ruby asked lifting her head slightly so she was looking Charlie in the eye.

"Oh, it was just work. I'm not really in the mood for dealing with that right now", Charlie said.

Putting her arm around her daughter, Charlie pulled Ruby into her embrace and held her close. Ruby rested her head against Charlie's chest and two remained lke that for the rest of the evening.

_Knock, knock..._Charlie's eyes flung open at the sound of the knocking at the back door. Looking down she saw her daughter's head resting on her lap with a cushion underneath. Gently lifting Ruby's head, she slipped out from under her and lay her back down on the couch. She pulled the throw up around Ruby's shoulders and leaned down, planting a kiss on her forehead. Standing back up she bounded out into the kitchen and opened the door. Her mouth fell open when she saw who was standing at the door.

"Hello Charlie. It's been a while"...


	7. Chapter 7

Charlie stood at the door gobsmacked. It was as if the past had come back to slap her in the face. She couldn't believe it. Her head was spinning with memories that were flooding back at rapid speed. Her knees felt weak and she her breathing became more rapid with each second she stood there rooted to the spot. At that moment she felt like the ground beneath her had opened up and she was in free fall. It was as if she was waiting fo her feet to touch solid groun again so she could engage with reality. And then it did.

"What the hell are you doing here?", she said with a venomous tone that expressed her anger.

"We came to see our granddaughter", the man said with a stern voice, his arm wrapped around his wife as they stood at the back door.

"Like hell you are!", Charlie replied. "You and your son have never been a part of Ruby's life...and you never will be", she said. Charlie went to close the door but the elderly man raised his hand up to stop it.

"Please, we know about the leukemia. Tracy told us you talked to her today", he said.

Looking between the man and the woman and then towards the living room where Ruby was sleeping, Charlie walked outside and closed the door over and stood in the outside dining area with the couple. She looked them up and down. In seventeen years, they had not changed one single bit. Granted they were older, but to Charlie it felt like time had stood still. Even now when she looked at Grant's father, she could see him. The whole situation made her uncomfortable. She didn't want them there but she knew if she didn't talk to them they would never leave.

"Go on then", Charlie said as she leaned against the windowsill

"Tracy came round to ours after you had talked to her about needing a bone marrow match for Ruby...", Charlie cut off the woman.

"Yeah which came to nothing. She doesn't want the kids to do it, that still doesn't explain why your here", she said looking between the man and woman for a viable explanation.

"No, no, you've got it wrong. It's not that Tracy doesn't want to do it, it's well...", the woman trailed off trying to find the words to finish.

"Well what?", Charlie asked growing impatient.

"The kids, they're not biologically Grant's, or Tracy's. They were adopted. Ruby is the first and last child Grant ever had", she finally finished.

Charlie stood there,flabbergasted. It now made sense why Tracy was so against the whole idea, It wasn't because she didn't want to help Ruby. She knew she couldn't. Charlie let out a sigh of realisation and then another of sadness. She was now back at square one with regards finding Ruby a donor. It was as if the universe was out to over throw her at every turn. All she wanted was for Ruby to get better. She didn't care about anything else. Everything in her life had taken a back seat to caring for her daughter. Her job, her friends and Angelo.

Angelo. She didn't know where that relationship was going. If that's what you would call it. All they seemed to do was butt heads on everything and argue. They rarely saw eye to eye on anything. In fact most of the time when they worked together, Charlie didn't agree with his methods. Although sometimes for the sake of preventing another Angelo temper tantrum, she kept her opinions to herself. It was hard to see why Charlie remained with him. At first it was because of the security he provided. But now, with Ruby ill and everything in her life being put into perspective, she wasn't so sure that it was enough.

"Why are you here? Why now?", Charlie demanded to know.

"After everything with Grant, we realised that there was no one to carry on the Bledcoe bloodline. Until Tracy told us that she'd been in contact with you and with Ruby", the man said. "We want a relationship with our grandchild. We want to help her get better. We want to take her to America and...",

"WHAT? NO!", Charlie shouted at them. "Ruby is a Buckton. She will never be a Bledcoe. Not now, not ever. As long as there is breath in my body I will never allow that to happen", she said, tears welling up in her eyes at the mere thought of it.

"Charlie we want a relationship with our granddaughter and we won't stop until that happens", the man said with a furious tone.

"You do what you like. Ruby is my daughter. My flesh and blood and I won't have you coming in and upsetting her life", Charlie spat back.

The elderky couple looked at each other, then back at Charlie. They could see the fire in her eyes. She was angry. They knew she would never back down of her own free will. So they decided that force would be the only way to go about seeing their granddaughter. Reaching into the inside of his pocket, the man oulled out a large brown envelope that was folded in half. Unfolding it, he looked at Charlie and then handed it to her. She snapped it from him and then glared at the both of them with a look of annoyance.

"What's this?", Charlie asked looking at the envelope.

"We're going to fight you for custody of Ruby. If you want agree to letting us take her to the States for treatment, we'll take her from you permanently", he said with a cold look.

"Custody? Are you out of your mind? No judge would let you take Ruby from me", Charlie said as anger and hurt hit an all time high.

"Our lawyer thinks we're in with a very good chance. I suggest you find one if you'e to stand any chance of fighting this", he replied.

With that the couple walked away, leaving Charlie heartbroken. They were actually going to try and take Ruby away from her. It was like somebody had just taken a knife and shoved it right through Charlie's heart. It ached uncontrollably at idea of having to fight for the right to be a mother to Ruby. Why did this have to happen now? Ruby was so ill, she coudn't take the stress of this on top of everything else. Charlie had to use all her strength not to collapse into a heap on the ground. She tried to catch her breath but it seemed like the hardest thing to do.

"Charlie", Ruby's weak voice called from the living room.

Hearing the her daughter call for her, Charlie stood up, wiping the tears from her eyes. Walking back inside the house, she dumped the custody papers on the kitchen work table and then tried to shake off the anger and hurt that was clawing away at her inside. Walking into the living room Charlie gasped at the sight of Ruby sitting uoright, crying her eyes out on the couch. Rushing over to her daughter, Charliesat down and placed her arm around Ruby.

"Rubes what is it, tell me what's wrong?", Charlie asked, her worry taking over.

"Charlie, you can't let them take me away", Ruby said through her tears.

"What? You heard that?", Charlie asked, the high pitched tone of her voice echoing the shock she felt. Ruby nodded her head as she tried frantically to wipe away the mass amount of tears that cascaded down her cheeks. "Oh baby. You know I would never let anyone take you away from me. Ever", Charlie emphasised the last word as she cupped Ruby's face in her hands. "I love you so, so much. I won't let anyone tear us apart. I promise", she finished.

As she looked Ruby in the eye, she saw the teen grimace in pain and then watched on helplessly as Ruby doubled over in agony. Charlie was aware if the side effects of the chemo. Althought Ruby had to deal with nosebleeds, vomiting and the other not so pleasant factors of the treatment, the pain was the worst because it felt like she could do nothing to relieve it. But this time it was worse. For it wasn't just a physical pain that Ruby felt, it was an emotional one too. Charlie tried desperatly to ease her daughter's discomfort but it just proved too difficult. She engulfed Ruby in her embrace, wrapping her arms firmly around her. Her daughter reciprocated by latching onto Charlie. Her grip tightening everytime a pain wave proved too painful.

Charlie rocked Ruby back and forth, hoping that the soothing motion would give her some relief, but knowing in the back of her mind that it didn't make a blind bit of difference. She knew that Ruby would just have to ride it out, for however long it lasted. Just like they would have to ride out the Bledcoes threats. However long thy lasted...


	8. Chapter 8

Sitting in the hospital canteen, watching Morag read through the documentation and studying every detail, Charlie felt uneasy. She didn't like the silence that had fallen over them for the last twenty minutes. It worried her that her step mother was being so quiet. What was she thinking? Was it good was it bad? Playing with the watch around her wrist she checked the time. Four-thirty. Ruby would be finished chemo by five. If Morag was to be able to tell her anything it would have to be now.

"Well? What do you think?", Charlie finally plucked up the courage to ask.

"I think you've got a fight on your hands", Morag said as she removed her glasses and looked up at her step daughter. "The Bledcoe's are obviously serious about custody. It's unlikely they'll back down, regardless of what is in Ruby's best interest.

Charlie sat back in her chair and ran her fingers through her hair. That was not the answer she was hoping for. She wanted Morag to tell her that the Bledcoe's didn't stand a chance. That they couldn't take Ruby away from her. Now she was facing into a reality that seemed bleak. It was bad enough that she was facing the possibility of losing her daughter to cancer. But now she could lose her to rapists parents. Thinking about the two outcomes, Charlie felt the hot tears line her cheeks as they fell. If either were to happen, she was facing a life without Ruby.

"I can't lose her Morag. Not to the Bledcoes, not to the cancer, not at all", she said as she wiped away a tear from her eye.

Morag looked sympathetically at Charlie. From the moment she found out that Ruby was ill, she had watched on in awe as her step daughter pushed everything else aside and dedicated her life solely to looking after Ruby. She knew how much Charlie cared for her, loved her. The bond that Charlie and Ruby shared was undeniable. No words could describe it. But it was plain to see for anyone who spent time with the two Bucktons. And that was exactly why Morag intended to fight tooth and nail to keep them together. She wouldn't accept any other outcome.

"Charlie now you listen to me. I will do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. But it's going to take time and I need you to be strong. Ruby's going to need you to lean on now more than ever. I'm sure this is hurting her just as much as it is hurting you", Morag said.

Staring up from the table, Charlie saw the determind look on her step mothers face. She was right. Charlie was being defeatist. The fight had only just begun and already she could feel the Bledcoes breaking her down piece by piece. But she couldn't allow that. Not if she wanted hold on to her daughter. She had to pull herself up again if she were to stand a chance. She didn't just need to be strong for herself. She needed to be strong for Ruby. Charlie was well aware of the fact that Ruby would be undergoing treatment and would not be physically or emotionally strong enough to handle anything on her on.

It was time for Charlie to step up and be the mother she always vowed she would be to Ruby. The mother she deserved. This time she was going to be more than just a support system or a source of comfort. She was going to prove once and for all that she was meant to be Ruby's mother and no one was going to tell her otherwise. She was going to fight the Bledcoe's all the way and she was going to fight to save Ruby's life. There was no way she was going to stand for anyone or anything taking Ruby away from her.

"Thanks Morag", Charlie said as she wiped away the remainder of her tears. Looking at her watch again she realised that chemo was almost over. "I better get back to Ruby. Are you staying tonight?", she asked her step mother as they both stood up from the table.

"No, I'm heading back to the city now. I need to inform Ross of what's going on and I want to get a head start on proceedings. Best to be ahead of the game than laggin behind", Morag said with her usual half smile. "Give Ruby my love", she finished as the two women embraced.

"I will, and thank you again", Charlie replied.

Morag picked up her briefcase and car keys and waved at her step daughter as she exited the canteen. Charlie ran her fingers through her hair, this time pulling it back and tying it into a ponytail. Walking out of the canteen and down the corridor she thought about everything she and Morag had discussed in their hour long briefing. It was like information overload. Between doctors and lawyers, Charlie's brain was fried. All she wanted to do was cuddle up next to her daughter and forget about everything. Whether Ruby realised it or not, whenever Charlie held her in her arms, nothing else mattered. The comfort Ruby felt being held by Charlie, was the same comfort Charlie felt holding Ruby.

As she arrived on the ward where Ruby was underging chemo, Charlie could hear a heated argument blaring from outside her daughter's room. Picking up her pace she burst through the door and to her shock, she found the Bledcoe's standing at the end of Ruby's bed trying to calm the young girl down. Quickly glancing up at her daughter, Charlie could see Ruby was hysterical and extremely weak.

"What the hell are you doing here? Get out!", Charlie shouted at the Bledcoe's as they turned around surprised to see her standing there.

"We're visiting our granddaughter", the man shouted back as if his presence was some sort of comfort to Ruby.

"You have no right to be here. Ruby doesn't want you here now leave", Charlie retaliated.

"Charlie", Ruby called out as she pinched her nose as blood flowed freely.

The elderly woman walked around the side of the bed and walked and attempted to tend to Ruby. But as she tried to reach out, Ruby pushed her away. Rejecting her.

"I want my mum", Ruby said as she reached out for Charlie.

Hearing Ruby call her mum, Charlie's heart skipped a beat. It was the first time Ruby had ever verbally acknowledged her as her mother. It was like the final piece of their relationship had fallen into place. Walking over to the side of the bed, she stepped in front of the elderly woman and picked up one of the gauze sponges the nurses had left there. Gently placing it under Ruby's nose, she leaned her daughters head against her chest and rubbed Ruby's temple. Knowing full well that Ruby would be suffering from a terrible headache and dizziness.

"I think you should leave", Charlie said as she looked at the couple with an icy glare.

Looking at the state their granddaughter was in, the Bledcoe's reluctantly made their way out of the hospital room. Charlie's gaze remained fixed on the door until they left and once out of sight, she returned her focus to Ruby. Removing the gauze, she checked to see if the blood flow had slowed down, and while it had, it still continued to bleed. Charlie moved closer to Ruby, sitting herself on the age of the bed. Just then a nurse walked in and looked alarmed by the sight of Ruby. Charlie briefly explained what had happened and then left the room to allow the nurse to check Ruby over and remove the drug line from her chest catheter.

Within a matter of minutes, the nurse walked out to inform Charlie that she could take Ruby home. As she stepped into the room, she could see her daughter shakily getting to her feet. Rushing over, Charlie slipped her arm around Ruby's waist.

"Hey, take it easy", she said as her daughter tried to gather her bearings.

"Charlie I don't wanna go home. Not yet", Ruby said as she looked up at her mother.

"Well, where do you want to go?", Charlie asked, not liking the idea of bring Ruby anywhere but home.

"Take me to the beach? Please? I need to clear my head", Ruby replied with the pleading look and puppy dog eyes Charlie just couldn't say no to.

"Okay, lets go", Charlie answered as she kissed her daughter on the side of the head.

When they arrived at the beach, Charlie and Ruby walked halfway down the sand near the water and then sat down. Charlie placed a blanket around them to block out the evening breeze that was blowing and Ruby snuggled into her mother's embrace as they looked out at the last of the days surfers make the most of the waves that were still rolling in. They'd only been there five minutes but already Ruby could feel the healing effects of spending time at the beach. It had become her getaway over the last few months. The place she would go to escape reality and just feel normal for a little while. It was exactly what she needed and she wanted Charlie to feel it too.

"Charlie, are you happy with how your life turned out?", Ruby asked, her gaze still focused out at sea.

"What? why do you ask?", Charlie replied looking down at her daughter.

"It's just, Charlz your thirty years old. You've got your whole life ahead of you. Your the Sergeant of a police station, guys fall over themselves to be with you...", Ruby was cut off by Charlie.

"But all of that comes second to being a mum to you. Rubes, I spent so many years living in regret because I couldn't be a mother to and I had to live with that every day. Now that I have the chance, I'm not going to waste it. I don't want anymore regrets. Rubes I want to be a mum to you more than anything else. It's the most important thing in the world to me and I'm not going to let anything ruin that. I love you", she finished.

"Charlz, if I die...",

"Rubes don't say that, you're not going to die", Charlie said tightening her grip on her daughter.

"IF I die", this time Ruby emphasised the if, "I don't want you to shut down and cut yourself off from everyone. I want you to be happy. I want you to move on and continue to succeed in your career. I want you to meet new people and do new things. I want you to make the most of life. Promise me you'll do that? Please...promise me?", she said in a high pitched tone.

Charlie looked down at Ruby and saw the teen gazing back at her with a heartfelt look of sheer honesty and openess. Charlie tried desperatly to stop any of her tear from falling, turning away momentarily to she could gather her focus again. And then she the strength within her to answer Ruby.

"I promise", she said.

With that, she pulled Ruby into full embrace so that her daughter would not see the pain and hurt in the tears she shed. In that moment two things were clear. The first, was that Charlie was not ready to embrace the possibility of death in the same way Ruby had. The second, was that the love that both women had for each other, proved they were meant to be mother and daughter.


	9. Chapter 9

Inside her ususal hospital room, Ruby sat upright listening to her mother nervously ramble on about calling her if she needed anything and how Leah would be picking her up after her session. It was the day of the custody proceedings and the tension within the room was building with each passing moment. Charlie was doing her best to remain calm for her daughter. The last thing she wanted was to have her carrying around any unnecessary stress.

It tore her up inside to think how much pain the whole thing was causing Ruby. Up until two weeks ago, she didn't even know who Grant's parents, her grandparents were. Now it was very possible that, not only could they gain full custody of her, but that if they did, they could move her thousands of miles away from home to a whole other continent. The thought of that happening was unbearable for Charlie. The had only ever lived apart twice in their whole lives, when Charlie was training at the police academy and when Ruby was sent to boarding school. But on both occasions Charlie was able to travel to see her daughter. Or sister as it were back then.

Nicole sat in the back corner of the room, watching on as her best friend and her mother embraced. With everything going on that day, she had decided that it was important that she be at the hospital with Ruby to provide support and comfort. It had been tough having to watch as her friend was torn apart by cancer. She still remembered the day Ruby told her she was sick. At first Nicole thought she was having some surreal nightmare. But the sorrow in her friends eyes revealed the truth. Ever since then, Nicole has done her best to be a strong support system for Ruby. Today was no different.

When Charlie and Ruby finally pulled apart from their hug, the younger Buckton reached across to the bedside locker and picked up the item that was staring back at her. Charlie watched as Ruby began to tie it around her bare wrist. When she looked down she say a bracelet. It was made with a leather strap and four medallions dangled from it. Charlie admired it for a moment before looking up at her daughter.

"Marilyn gave it to me after I'd found out about the leukemia. She talked to me about her cancer and what she went through and the people who helped her through it", Ruby explained as she played with the medallions. "Each medallion is blessed and they all represent something different. This one represents protection against life's evils. This one represents inner strength within ourselves. This one represents love. Love of the heart, love of the human soul, love for one another. And this one represents the ability to heal those who seek out the need to be healed. Physically, mentally, emotionally", Ruby finished after explaining the last medallion. "I figured since I can't be there with you, a part of me could".

Charlie looked at the bracelet, then returned her gaze to her daughter and smiled lovingly at her.

"Thank you", Charlie replied as she gently pulled Ruby towards her and placed a kiss upon her forehead. "Are you sure your gonna be okay?", she asked.

"She'll be fine, I've totally got it covered. We'll sit here and have a bit of a gossip, check at all the hot George Clooney type doctors that are wandering around the ward and then when we're done with that I might let Ruby win at poker again", Nicole smiled as she stood beside her friends hospital bed giving her a shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Eh yeah, and if Nicole's nice to me we'll play for matchsticks this time so she doesn't leave broke again", Ruby replied mockingly.

Charlie laughed at the interaction between the two young girls. At times it almost felt like she had two daughters. She cared a lot about Nicole and she was really grateful that Ruby had a friend she could trust and rely on. It made her feel slightly more at ease about leaving Ruby . Although she hated the thought of it, she knew if she were to stand a chance of winning the case she had to be at the custody hearing. Just then Morag entered the room, briefcase in hand and coughed to make her presence known. All three women looked up at her.

"Charlie, it's time to go", she said and then waited patiently for Charlie to gather her bearings.

Stroking Nicole's arm, Charlie thanked her for being there to wait with Ruby. Then, taking one last glance at the person she loved the most, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter. Holding her as if it were to be the last time she ever did again. Ruby responed with the same intention behind her embrace. Both kissed each other the cheek as they pulled apart.

"I love you", Charlie said as she stood up.

"I love you too" Ruby replied, a tear in her eye.

With that, Charlie followed Morag and they disappeared out of the room. Seeing the tears well up in Ruby's eyes, Nicole wrapped her arms around her friend and held her close. Allowing her to release the tears that had been threatenng to fall since the start of chemo.

Sitting outside the family court room, Charlie played with the bracelet Ruby had given her earlier. Her gaze remained fixed on it. Until she heard a man down the corridor mention the names of the Bledcoe's. Then reality set in and she found herself removed from her thoughts and planted firmly into the middle of a nightmare she couldn't escape from. All around her she was surrounded by men and women in suits and carrying briefcases. She wanted to get up and run. But knew she couldn't. Just then a familiar voice called.

"Charlie, Charlie", her stepmother called trying to get her attention.

"Hmm", was all Charlie could manage.

"They're ready for us", Morag replied as she placed a hand on her stepdaughters shoulder.

Nodding her head Charlie stood up and followed Morag into the room and watched as the attendant closed the door behind them. Charlie's nightmare had suddenly become a real life fight.

"So I called Leah, she's been delayed. But she said she's sorry and that she just has to wrap up a couple of things at the diner and she'll be here as quick as she can. But on the plus side you do have a rather cute late visitor", Nicole said as she handed Ruby the glass of water she had fetched for her while she called Leah. Smiling she stepped out of the way to reveal Romeo as he walked in the door.

"Hey", Ruby said when she saw her friend. "Long time no see stranger", she said with a cheeky grin.

Romeo smiled at her with his cute heart warming grin and removed a teddy bear from behind his back.

"For my lady", he said as he approached her bed and handed the bear to her.

"Ah, Romeo he's cute and all, but I'm not five", Ruby said with a small laugh.

"Yeah I know, but I thought he looked kind of lonely in the gift shop and a teddy bear lasts longer than flowers", he replied as he petted the bear.

"Thank you", Ruby said as they both continued to smile at each other. Taking a sip of her water she layed back and looked at Nicole as she placed the water cup back on the bedside cabinate for her. "Thanks Nic", Ruby said.

"Hey what are friends for", she replied with a smile as she gave Ruby's hand a squeeze.

Looking at the clock at the back of the room, Ruby realised the Charlie would have just gone in for the custody hearing. Gazing between her two friends and realising that Leah would be late, suddenly an idea hit her.

"Guys I need to ask you both a huge favour".

"This was a bad idea, a really, really bad idea", Nicole ranted as she ran up the front steps of the court house ahead of Romeo who was carrying Ruby.

When they had reached the top of the steps, Romeo gently let Ruby down and held onto her until she was steady enough to stand alone. Grabbing Nicole by the arm Ruby turned her friend towards her and looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Nic would you please shut up. I know this isn't exactly the smartest idea I've ever had but I need to do this. Please help", she said.

"Okay fine. But if we get busted, cancer or no cancer I'm telling them you made us do this against our will", Nicole replied mockingly.

When they had finished their disagreement, all three teenagers made their way inside the building and followed the sign that read family court right up the stairs. Picking up the pace as they moved down the corridor, they checked every sign outside each door to find the right room. As they walked Ruby found herself gasping for breath. Her energy levels hitting crisis point. But the adrenaline that was pumping through her body pushed her to keep going. Eventually Nicole found herself stood before a sign that read _Buckton v Bledcoe Custody Hearing_ and gestured towards her friends that this was the right room.

Looking at the large hard wood doors Ruby braced herself and tried to catch her breath as the reality of what she was about to do hit her.

Inside the room, the jugde glared at Charlie over her glasses from where she was sitting.

"Although Ms. Buckton holds a high standing in society and has been acting as the girls legal guardian for the past two years, the fact still remains that for sixteen years she was believed to be her sister. Also while under her guardianship, Ruby was involved in a bomb attack, was investigated as a suspect in the murder if her father, Mr. Grant Bledcoe and was responsible for posting a viral video of a fellow student naked on the internet", the judge pointed out reather harsly. "While it is clear that you love your daughter and have a deep affection for her, it does not do enough to qualify you as a fit parent".

At these words Charlie broke down in tears, the full extent of their meaning hit her at full force. Just then the double doors burst open to reveal the figures of three teenagers .

"Ruby!", Charlie exclaimed as she saw her weak daughter standing at the top of the room.

"Stop", Ruby said her eyes focused soley on the judge. "You can't do this I won't live with them", she told the judge as she blinked rapidly trying to stop the dizziness she was experiencing.

"I'm sorry your not allowed...", the judge was cut off by the visibly upset, sick young girl standing before her.

"Please, don't this. Don't tear my family apart", she pleaded. "I know we don't have the most conventional mother/daughter relationship. But Charlie _IS_ my mum and I love her. And I know she loves me. She has been protecting me and caring for me all my life. She's always been there for me. I need her in myyy...I need...her in...my liffffe", Ruby's words were slurred as she spoke, her balance beginning to wane.

Charlie stood from her and instantly saw the blood dripping from Ruby's. Just as the judge was about to say something, Ruby began to cough and splutter blood. Charlie dashed across the room and caught her daughter just as she went to collapse. Cradling Ruby in her arms, Charlie screamed at the judge and attendant to call for help. The Bledcoe's stood on the far side of the room stunned into silence. Romeo and Nicole dashed over to try and help but they couldn't.

Charlie rocked Ruby back and forth, tears falling from eyes. At that moment, she prayed for a miracle...


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, sorry it took so long to update, I've been so busy lately and I've just started college so I've been busy moving and everything. Anyways here's the latest chapter. Hope you like it and please you review. I love to hear your thoughts.**

All was quiet in the hospital waiting room. Romeo had his arm wrapped firmly around Nicole as he tried to comfort the upset teen while also trying to keep his own emotions under control. They couldn't really make sense of what had just happened. Everything was a blurr of sheer confusion. From the moment they stepped into the court room to now, sitting in waiting. It all felt very surreal. When Romeo felt the trickle of hot tears drop onto his arm he snapped out of his thoughts and hugged Nicole closer to him, realising she needed reassurance.

Across the room the Bledcoes were deep in conversation with their lawyer, who was joined by Morag and the judge who was handling the proceedings. The look of upset and frustration evident on the faces of each of them. They were clearly deep in discussion but the tension seemed to cut through everyone in the room. Since arriving at the hospital they had been joined by Leah and Irene who had turned up to offer Charlie comfort and support and to be show their concer for Ruby's wellbeing. In the last two years they had become almost like surrogate mothers to her.

Standing by the window where the view overlooked the sea, Charlie stood rooted to the spot. Her arms wrapped firmly around herself as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Although medically she knew there was nothing that she could do for her daughter, it still didn't manage to rid the feelings of guilt that she felt. Feelings of guilt for lying to Ruby for sixteen years about being her mother. Feelings of guilt for not paying her enough attention. Feelings of guilt because Ruby was deathly ill and and she was fighting fit barely suffered from as much as a cold.

Even though Ruby had been ill for months, still Charlie found herself asking the same question every night as she lay in bed, _"Why my daughter?"_. Charlie had little family left and the idea of losing her own child was more than she could bear to think about. She had read all the literature on leukemia. She knew all the statistics, the treatment plans, the survival rates. In fact Charle had educated herself so well on the condition she was now able to educate others and make sense of all the medical information the doctors fed her on an almost daily basis. But still she felt helpless.

Charlie could hold her dauhter, comfort her, wipe away her tears, give her hugs and kisses when she needed them. But while all of this was in its own unique way a chance for a parent to help their child in some small way, in the back of Charlie's mind it felt insignificant. For she had this theory that, if she couldn't cure Ruby of her illness, then she wasn't helping her at all. Everything else was just something for a mother to do while the doctors tried every drug ever created to find a cure. Like all parents Charlie would do anything for Ruby, even trae her own life, for the life of her daughters. But she couldn't. She couldn't free Ruby of this torturous disease. And knowing that tore Charlie inside everyday.

As she remained rooted to the spot, Charlie began to fidget with the bracelet Ruby had given her that day as she heard Ruby's voice echo loudly inside her head, telling her that she loved her. It reminded Charlie of the reason why she carried on living everyday even through the really tough times. She lived because she had someone to live for. Someone who loved her and who she loved unconditionally. As long as Charlie had that she would never give up. Just then Morag placed her hand on stepdaughter's shoulder and pointed her in the direction of the doctor who had just enetered the waiting. When Charlie made to walk towards him, everybody held their breath as they awaited what the doctor had to say.

"Charlie", Dr. Parker said as he walked towards her.

"How's Ruby? Is she alright?", Charlie replied. It was all she wanted to know. She was in no humour for chit chat. All she wanted was for the doctor to get straight to the point and he knew from past experiences with Charlie not to dwell in on minor details.

"Right now she's stable. Although she is very weak and very groggy. Now her chest catheter was damaged in the fall so we've had to remove the old one and replace it with a new one so she'll have a bit of discomfort for a while. But other than that she's as fine as she can be considering her circumstances", the doctor finally finished. "The recovery nurses are with right now but they'll come get in about a half an hour so you can see your daughter".

"Thank you Dr. Parker", Charlie said as she let out a soft sight of relief.

Once the doctor walked around Charlie was engulfed in a hug by Leah and then by Irene. Across the room Nicole released tears of joy as Romeo hugged her then removed his phone from his pocket to call Xavier and April. Gazing across the room Charlie could see the angered expression on her stepmothers face. Curiosity getting the better of her she stood up from her seat and made her way over to the far corner of the room to where Morag had been deep in conversation with the judge and and lawyer. Part of her wanted desperatly to know what was going on. Another part of her was terrified to know in case she received the worst possible outcome she could receive.

Morag spotted Charlie out of the corner of her eye and immediatly turned to face her. Charlie stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her stepmothers emotionless face staring back at her.

"Morag...what's going on?", she asked as she saw the judge and lawyer walk over to the Bledcoes.

"The judge has ruled that Ruby be temporarily placed in the custody of the Bledcoe's...".

"WHAT!", Charlie screamed, silencing the entire waiting room. "No, they can't do that, Ruby is my daughter. She belongs with me. Why are they doing this?". Charlie wailed through her tears.

"Because although the judge can see that you clearly love Ruby, she has doubts about ur parenting abilities based on past indiscretions", Morag explained as she looked at a teary eyed stepdaughter. "Charlie, trust me I will do everything I can to appeal this decision.

"And what am I supposed to do until then? Am I going to be allowed to see Ruby? What if they take her to the States before you can appeal? I can't lose her Morag...I can't", Charlie finished as she finally broke down.

Just then a nurse walked into the waiting room and just as Charlie was about to run up to her, she was stopped by Morag who then informed her that she could not have contact with Ruby without the Bledcoes consent. Looking towards the door she saw the nurse lead the Bledcoes down the corridor to where Ruby was recovering. Her daughter was literally only a couple of yards away but she couldn't see her. It was then Charlie realised she had hit rock bottom.

An hour had passed and Charlie was sitting staring at the same spot on the wall she had picked ut since the nurse left. During the time that time she had not opened her mouth once. Angelo had shown up to comfort Charlie, but nothing he said made any difference. He almost felt like he might as well have been some random stranger for all the reaction he got from Charlie. Angelo tried everything but couldn't not break down the barrier that was blocking him out. Eventually after watching Angelo fail miserably to talk Charlie around, Leah decided it was time she tried to get through to her friend.

Taking a seat next to Charlie, Leah put her arm around her friends shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Charlie...come on Charlie, you need to talk to someone. Let me help you", Leah said hoping to get her friend to speak.

"Ever since Ruby got sick I've always tried to be positive. I tell myself she's young, she's got her whole life ahead of her she can beat this", Charlie stopped and lowered her head and began to wring her hands together. "But every now and again I have that one thought...what if I lose her? whay if she dies?".

"Oh Charlie", Leah began but Charlie cut her off.

"If that happened I would miss out on so much. I'd never get to hear about her first day at uni, or how her first day at work went. I'd never get to see her walk down the ailse on her wedding day or be there for her when she has kids of her own", Charlie began to sob as she spoke. The words getting harder and harder to form. "I missed out on so much of being a mum to Ruby when she was growing and now just when I've finally got y daughter back, I've lost her again and I don't know how I can deal with this", she finished breaking down in Leah's arms.

"Shhhh, it's okay, it's gonna be okay", Leah said as she tried to console her friend.

"I want my daughter back! I just want Ruby", Charlie said through her tears.

Just then Mrs. Bledcoe appeared at the door. She eased her way into the room and was met with hostile glares from all that were closest to Ruby. Nicole stood up from her chair.

"What the hell are you doing here? Don't you think you've caused my friend and her family enough pain today?", she spat as Romeo rushed up behind her and tried to calm her down.

"Nic come on don't make this any harder", he said as he tried to guide her away but she refused.

"No, my best friend is really ill and this woman who says she cares about her has done the one thing that has made her even more miserable than she was", Nicole turned back towards the woman, "She's sick and you think taking her away from her mum is going to make things better? You are seriously delusional".

"We just want to take care of our granddaughter and this is the only way we could do that", the elderly woman tried to defend herself.

"Yeah well you've got a funny way of showing you care", Nicole said as she turned and walked back towards her seat.

The woman walked over to where Charlie was seated and touched her on the shoulder to get her attention.

"Charlie, I know I'm the last person you want to talk to right now...but, well...Ruby's been asking for you. She's in quite a bit of distress and...she needs her mum", Mrs. Bledcoe finished.

Charlie looked up at the woman, her brain working over time to register what she had just been told. But it didn't take long. Once she realised Ruby needed her she bounded out of her seat and made a dash across the room and down the corridor. About half way down she spotted Mr. Bledcoe standing outside the room, gazing in at Ruby through the glass pane outside the ICU. When he spotted Charlie he nodded his head as if to confirm it was okay for her to enter.

Walking up to the door, Charlie pushed it open. Her eyes fell upon Ruby and she walked straight up to her daughters bedside. She lowered her hand and gently stroked Ruby's forehead and with her other hand, she grabbed a hold of Ruby's.

"Ruby, baby", Charlie said in a hushed voice trying to wake her daughter.

As if on cue, Ruby's eyes slowly began to flutter open.

"Umm...Charlie" Ruby said in a croaky voice as she gently squeezed her mother's hand back. Staring up at her mother Ruby's eyes became teary, "Please don't let them take me Charlie", she said as her tears began to pour down her cheeks.

"I won't let them take you anywhere. Alright. Like I said, where you go, I go. I promise", Charlie finished and then planted a long lingering kiss on Ruby's forehead.

Ruby wrapped her arm around Charlie's neck and hugged her tightly. Charlie held her daughter as tightly as possible, showing that no matter what, she would not let Ruby go anywhere without a fight.


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay so here it is, it's the newest chapter and I'm so sorry it took so long to update. I know it's well overdue. But I hope you like it. The song that I have included in this story is by Rascal Flatts called I Won't Let Go. When I heard it I though it just fit perfectly with the way Charlie's feeling and the emotions of certain other characters who may have invested strong feelings in Ruby. It's what inspired me to get writing again. It's a beautiful song and for emotional effect you should listen to the track whilst you read this chapter when the track itself is being played within the story. I'll post the link to the song at the necessary point in the story as it's hard to get a decent one on youtube. Hope you enjoy it.**

**Two Weeks Later**

Two weeks had passed since Ruby was unexpectedly rushed to hospital. Although for those who cared about her, it felt much, much longer. Just as Ruby was beginning to feel better, she was struck down with the flu. Her already weakened immune system struggled to fight off the infection and she found herself being quarantined. But like the fighter she had become, she fought the infection and, although she was still weak, she was being discharged. Much to the relief of her mother and friends.

Charlie had arrived early that morning to collect Ruby. Romeo and Nicole had tagged along as they had promised Ruby they would hang with her that day to take her mind everything else that was going on around her. The Bledcoes were still very much making their presence known, however Ruby had long since accepted that they were not going away anytime soon. She didn't have the strength to keep fighting them and she didn't want to keep relaying the past they represented. Not when it was a past that haunted Charlie. She was fed up seeing her mother upset. Luckily, after Ruby was admitted, the Bledcoes agreed to give Charlie back full custody. Under the provision that they would be allowed visit and communicate about Ruby's health care. Eventually all agreed to Ruby getting a bone marrow transplant in Perth at the end of the month. Much to everyone's delight.

As if on cue, Charlie walked into Ruby's room, followed closely by Nicole who was carrying a gift bag, and Romeo who also came bearing gifts. Charlie walked around to the side of the bed and sat down, planting a kiss on Ruby's forehead as she greeted her daughter. Nicole and Romeo made their way to the far side of the bed and both greeted Ruby with tender hugs, careful not to hurt her still healing chest from where her new catheter had been inserted.

"Hey, how are you doing this morning?", Charlie asked as she gently stroked her daughter's arm.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Tired, but I'm good", Ruby replied, trying to look as positive as she could under the current circumstances. Charlie nodded at daughters response and then stood up, walking over to the chair that was currently being occupied by Ruby's bag which she Charlie began to finish packing. As she neatly folded away Ruby's belongings, Romeo and Nicole decided to present their friend with the gifts they had brough her to cheer her up.

"Okay, I know you're probably wondering what's in the bag right?", Nicole said with a hint of excitement in her voice. Ruby smiled at her with a look that screamed 'obviously' and proceeded to laugh as Romeo used the table at the end of the bed to create the sound of a drum roll. "Ladies and Gentleman, boys and girls, I present the very first, and last, one of a kind designer head scarf by Nicole Franklin Designs", as she finished off her speech, Nicole removed a gorgeous hand made purple head scarf, with fine detailing and even a long string feathered hair piece like the one Ruby used to wear in her hair.

Taking the scarf in her hands, Ruby felt the texture of the soft material and admired the detail. The scarf was beautiful and the more she looked at it, the more in awe she became of Nicole's talent for designing. Putting the scarf down Ruby looked up at her best friend and with outstretched arms, thanked her for her gift. They broke apart when they were interrupted by Romeo's faking coughing, both laughing at his playful nature.

"Okay, okay it's my turn", he said stepping in front of Nicole so that he was closer to Ruby. "Now my gift isn't as cool as Nic's, but it something we can all enjoy together or at least endure together...ta-dah", he said as he presented Ruby with a stack of Kate Hudson dvd's. "Oh and one other thing", he said. Reaching behind his back he removed the biggest bar of chocolate Ruby had ever seen. "What's a movie fest with some chockie", he smiled at her. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Charlie glaring at him disapprovingly. "In moderation with your diabetes?", he said, more as a question towards Charlie, who laughed at his attempts to please her.

"Okay Rubes, you ready to go?", Charlie asked as she placed her hand on her daughters shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Ruby nodded yes at her mother and then watched as Romeo went outside to retrieve a wheelchair. With Charlie and Nicole's help, Ruby moved from the bed to the chair and settled herself in. Nicole gathered together Ruby's gifts and walked along side Ruby and Charlie down the corridor as Romeo trailed behind carrying the bag of belongings. Ruby enjoying the view of the outside world for the first time in two weeks.

The car ride home was full of chat. Nicole filled Ruby in on April's latest enviromental plans, Bianca's confusing love life, Xavier and Palmers blossoming relationship and even decided to share Romeo's woeful love life, much to his lack of enthusiasm. Which led Ruby to the age old question of how her own mother's love life was doing. But like every other time she asked the question she received the same awkward silence, which was further deepened by Charlie's refusal to discuss Angelo. Before Ruby could ask anymore questions they had arrived at Leah's house.

Getting out of the car, Charlie walked around to the passenger side followed by Romeo who gently placed his hand on her arm, handing her the bag as she held the door open.

"Here, you take this, I'll carry Rubes into the house", he said and waited for Charlie's approval before gently placing his arms under a sleeping Ruby, who stirred in his arms as she rested her head against his chest. Charlie closed the door and led the way to the house, removing her keys from her handbag she handed Nicole the key to open the front door and she oblidged, taking the keys from her friends mother. Nicole held the door open for Romeo who entered first. He turned towards Charlie.

"Where do you want me to put her?", he asked as he watched Charlie place the bag down. She looked up and pointed towards the couch and followed the tall blonde into the living room. Romeo walked around the dining table and over to the, gently placing Ruby upon it without waking her. He stood back and watched as Charlie removed the quilt from the back of the couch and placed it over her daughter. Nicole watched on from the doorway. A silent tear slid down her cheek as she thought about her friend. She quickly wiped it away. Not wanting anyone to notice.

As Charlie walked passed she placed a gentle hand on Nicole shoulder for comfort and smiled at the teen before heading into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. Nicole joined her a short time after. When both women had left the room Romeo bent down and gently stroked Ruby's arm. He leaned over her and gently whispered in her ear and just before he stood up, he placed a kiss on her forehead and then made his way out into the kitchen to join Nicole and Charlie.

"Hey guys, thanks for today. I know it meant a lot to Ruby having you there", Charlie said as she placed a coffee down in front each of the teenagers. They smiled gratefully at her and took a sip of their coffee.

"It was nothing. We wanted to be there for her", Nicole said playing with the handle on her cup. She looked up at Charlie as she sat down at the table with them.

"I don't know how you do it. Stay so strong when Ruby's so sick", Nicole said, a look of sympathy in her eyes.

"Yeah, it most be tough. I mean I find it hard trying to be strong for a couple of hours. You're with Ruby everyday. You've seen her at her worst. How do you do it?", Romeo asked, genuinely interested.

Charlie looked down at her hands and thought carefully about what she would say to the eager looking teenagers staring back at her. Truth be told sometimes she didn't know how she would cope. When Ruby was having a bad, at times it felt like the only thing Charlie wanted to do was fall apart. But she knew she couldn't. Because Ruby needed her and she had to be there for her daughter. She needed to be there for her.

"Honestly, I stay strong, because I have to be strong for Ruby. Because if I'm not I would fall apart. Ruby would fall apart. And I couldn't bear to see that happen", Charlie said, a mix of determination and sadness in her voice. She looked back down at her hands and then took another sip of her coffee. Nicole and Romeo nodded at what she had said. Understanding exactly what she was saying.

Finishing up their coffees, Romeo and Nicole said their goodbyes to Charlie and headed for home. Nicole and Romeo walked down the street for a bit before Romeo stopped and told Nicole he was going to the beach for a walk. Nicole nodded understandingly and then turned, heading for home Picking up the empty cups, Charlie placed them in the sink and made a mental note to wash them later. Then she turned and made her way into the living room. Noticing that Ruby was beginning to wake Charlie walked over to the couch and kneeled down beside it, reaching up and stroking Ruby's cheek when saw her eyes begin to flicker open.

"Hey sweetie", Charlie said. Ruby stretched a little then sat up to make room for her mother to sit down. Taking up the vacant spot on the couch Charlie pulled Ruby into her warm embrace and sat back. Ruby rested her head against Charlie's chest. She still felt weak, but felt better than she had in weeks at that very moment.

"I had nice dream", Ruby said as she played with Charlie's chain.

"Oh yeah", Charlie said, "What was it about?", she asked running her hand up and down Ruby's arm.

"We had a barbaque at the house. Everyone was there. You, me, Ross, Morag, Mr. Stewart, all our friends. There was music, the sun was shining brighter than I've ever seen it shine before. And everyone was happy. Like nothing bad could happen", she finished.

"Sounds beautiful Rubes", Charlie replied placing a kiss on top of her daughters head.

"Hey Charlz, could you put on some music?", Ruby asked looking her mother in the eye.

"Sure", Charlie answered, "Any preferences?", she asked standing up from the couch.

"You pick", Ruby said watching as Charlie shuffled through the iPod on the docking station. After a couple of seconds Charlie settled on a song and returned to the couch and sat down, wrapping her arms around Ruby. **http:/www./audio/BaknUV70/Rascal_Flatts_-_I_Wont_Let_**

"Charlz, you know this bone marrow transplant, what if I'm not strong enough, you know, what if something goes wrong?"...

...At the caravan park, Nicole flicked through her photo album from last summer. So many memories that she would treasure forever. Many of them of Ruby and her and all their adventures and misadventures. Looking at the picture of them with their arms around each other down on the beach, Nicole smiled. In Ruby she had found a true friend, a best friend, a sister. At that moment she promised that no matter what happend she would always hold on to Ruby. She would stand by her side through thick and thin. She wouldn't let her go. No matter what. Leaning back against her pillow she hugged the album close to her chest and a lone tear fell down her cheek...

...Down on the beach, Romeo sat with his arms stretched over his knees, staring out at the sea watching as the sun began to set over all the land. As he sat there he thought about Ruby. It was all he seemed to think about lately. It was what was causing problems in his relationship with Indi. For Romeo had recently discovered that the feelings he had for Ruby ran deeper than just brotherly love or friendship. He was falling for her. And the thought of not getting the chance to be able to be with her was eating him up inside. Which is why he vowed to hold on to her no matter what.

_When both women had left the room Romeo bent down and gently stroked Ruby's arm. He leaned over her and gently whispered in Ruby's ear, "I love you Ruby. And I'll wait for you. No matter how long it takes", he placed a kiss on her forehead and then made his way out into the kitchen to join Nicole and Charlie._

A tear slid down Romeo's cheek and he promised himself there and then that he would always love Ruby Buckton, and he would never let her go...

...Sitting on the couch, her arms wrapped protectively around her daughter, Charlie listened to Ruby's words echo inside her head. The truth was, Charlie thought about the prospect of Ruby dying every day. The fear growing deeper the closer the transplant date came. But as strong as that fear was, it wasn't as strong as her love for Ruby. And that's what gave her the strength to stay strong and think positively.

"It's gonna work Rubes. And do you want to know why? Because I'm gonna be there holding your hand right to the very end", Charlie said gazing lovingly into her daughter's eyes. "And I promise you, no matter what...I won't let go", she said.

Ruby nodded at what Charlie had said. The tears spilling from her eyes. Charlie wiped the tears away with her thumbs and then pulled Ruby into her arms and hugged her so tight, she felt she would never let go. And as she sat there with her daughter in her arms she replayed her own words in her head..._I won't let go Rubes...I won't let go..._


	12. Chapter 12

Flicking through her wardrobe, Charlie tried to think about what to take and what to leave behind for her and Ruby's temporary move to Perth. Although she knew regardless of the outcome that they would eventually be coming back to the Bay, six months was a long time to be away from home. Which was probably why she was having so much trouble deciding what to bring with her to Perth? The one thing she was positive she wouldn't need for the move, her police uniform. Having informed her superiors of her current circumstances, and her need to be on the other side of the country, they were more than willing to allow Charlie the extended time of work.

That was certainly a load of Charlie's mind. It was one thing worrying about Ruby and doctors and moving to Perth, she didn't want to have to worry about finding a new job. Although she quickly realised how insignificant that detail was when she remembered that they were doing all this to get her daughter better. It was mind blowing to Charlie that she could love someone this much. Whenever Angelo mentioned moving in to a place together, she would run a thousand miles in the opposite direction and have a panic attack. Yet here she was, packing up her life to move to the other side of Australia. But that's how much Charlie loved her daughter. She would drop everything in a heart beat; do anything, go anywhere for Ruby. So long as she was happy, and healthy, then Charlie was content with life.

Looking at the clock, she noticed the time and sighed. Two whole hours she had spent trying to sort out her packing, and she was still no better off than she was a week ago when she had originally started. Throwing down the shoes she was holding in her hand, she decided to call it a day. It was coming up to lunch time and she needed to check Ruby's blood sugar levels. On a good day, Ruby would go about her day as if she were never ill. But on a bad day, Charlie's full time nursing job would take on a lot more work in the day. Not that it bothered Charlie. But it did bother Ruby. It made her feel like she was losing her independence. And that was not something a very headstrong teenager accepted very well.

Walking into the living room, Charlie made her way over to the couch and found that Ruby was still napping. It didn't seem fair to wake her, especially since she had been so ill recently, but Charlie knew she had to do it to check Ruby's levels. Charlie made her way around t the head end of the couch were Ruby's head lay. She gently placed her hand on her daughters arm and stroked it before gently giving it a nudge, to rouse Ruby from her sleep. Her eyes slowly began to flicker open, but only remained half open. The bright light beaming in through the window was too sharp for Ruby's sensitive eyes. Slowly, she began to gather herself up into an upright position and then she turned to face her mother.

"Hey", Charlie said in a soft soothing voice. "It's time to check your levels", she finished as she stroked Ruby's cheek. Standing up, Charlie made her way into the kitchen and began making up a light snack that Ruby's terribly nauseous stomach would be able to handle. Once the sandwich had been made, she removed freshly squeezed orange juice from the fridge and half filled a glass to go with the snack. Picking up the glass and the plate, she made her way back into the living room and sat the food down on the coffee table in front of Ruby. Before sitting down, removed Ruby's insulin kit from the cabinets and handed it to Ruby. Taking a seat next to her daughter she took the pen and pricked Ruby's finger, swiped some blood onto the strip and placed it in the monitor. When the reading appeared on the BSL monitor she jotted it down in the little diary and placed it back in the kit.

"Charlz, I don't think I can eat this", Ruby said looking at the plate. Her face was pale white and she looked as if she were going to be sick any minute. She licked her lips to moisten them and placed her arms across her stomach. Trying to settle the wave after wave, of sickness that was being lashed upon her like a raging storm. She knew that the nausea pills the doctors had given her took a while to take affect. But when it was bad, she wished they would just hurry on up and get into gear. Ruby felt like she was on a never ending merry-go-round she couldn't get off and it was beginning to take its toll on her.

"Rubes, I know this is hard for you. Believe me I do. But you have to eat. If you don't your diabetes will get worse and you'll just get sicker", Charlie tried desperately to encourage her daughter to eat. She knew this was tough on Ruby, but she had no choice. Not eating was not an option. Ruby needed to sustain a healthy eating pattern if she wanted to keep up her strength, fight her illness and keep her diabetes in line. It was hard, but Charlie was determined not to let her daughter slip at any cost. The move to Perth and a possible future for Ruby was a matter of days away. Now was not the time for letting everything fall apart. Not when they had gotten this far. Ruby looked at the food again and tried to push the sick feeling to the back of her mind. But she couldn't do it. She wasn't physically strong enough.

"I can't do it. I'm sorry Charlie", Ruby said in between her sobs. She felt like she had let her mother down. Ruby wanted to be able to eat. She knew she needed to eat. But when she was feeling so sick, so tired and so weak, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Charlie looked at her daughter, then at the plate. To her it was only a sandwich, but to Ruby it was a challenge. Glancing back at her daughter, she could see the upset in her eyes. Leaning towards Ruby, Charlie engulfed her in a comforting hug. Gently she stroked her back as she whispered tender words of support into her daughter's ear.

"Okay, it's okay. Why don't we get you get you into bed for some proper rest. We can try this again later", Charlie said as she wiped the tears away from Ruby's face. Looking at her mother, Ruby nodded and then gently tried to stand up with the support of Charlie's arm wrapped around her waist. Together, they made their way into Ruby's room. Pulling back the bed covers, Charlie sat Ruby down and gently helped her mover her chest catheter for comfort. When Ruby was finally settled, Charlie leaned down and gave her a small kiss on the cheek and then left the room.

Walking over to the coffee table, she picked up the uneaten sandwich and the glass of juice and carried them out to the kitchen. Just as she was placing them on the worktop she heard a knock on the door. Turning on her heel, Charlie made her way to the door and opened it.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't good old Charlie Buckton. I see time has been very kind to you", the woman said with a big grin on her face.

"Oh my Gosh. Jodi, what are you doing here", Charlie replied with a smile on her face. "I haven't seen you in, oh God, what's been, ten years?" she finished, still looking the tall blonde woman up and down.

"Yeah something like that. Now are you going to invite and old friend in or am I just going to stand here all day?" Jodie replied sarcastically. Stepping aside, Charlie invited her in and they made their way into the living room. As they did so, Charlie asked Jodie to keep the noise to a minimum as Ruby was sleeping. And that was when good old, subtle as an atomic bomb, Jodie decided to dive right in to some long overdue questioning. "So Charlie, I was in the diner earlier getting some lunch and I asked a nice old lady about you. She kindly filled me in on some details I appear to have missed out on. Want to fill in the blanks for me?" she said. As she finished she could see Charlie's face drop as she realised that Colleen had obliged in telling Jodie probably everything about her past.

Over the next two hours, Charlie and Jodie engaged in a very deep conversation about what had been going on over the last sixteen to seventeen years. Charlie told her about the rape, conceiving Ruby, running away, the lie her parents came up with about Ruby being her sister, Ruby finding out, Grants murder, everything. There was no point in holding back. Ruby was her daughter and that was the story of her conception. She wasn't ashamed of her daughter so she wasn't going to continue hiding it anymore. Not with everything else going on.

"Oh Charlie. I'm so sorry", Jodie said. Suddenly all the pieces fit together. All the blank questions had been answered and now she felt deep remorse for not knowing this. She and Charlie used to be best friends when they were younger. "I wish you'd told me. You know it all makes sense now. You were always the overprotective older sister. But, I guess, you weren't. You were a mother worried about her daughter. Just like any parent", Jodie finished as she sympathetically placed a hand on Charlie's arm.

"Yeah, but you know what? I'm done feeling sorry for myself and being bitter about the past. What Grant did was horrible. And that will always be with me. But out of all that evil, all that spite and hate, came the greatest love I have EVER known", Charlie explained, emphasising her words with hand gestures. "Ruby is the most important thing in the world to me and that will never change", she said, smiling as she thought about her daughter. Jodie looked over Charlie's shoulder and spotted a picture of Charlie and Ruby together on top of the cabinets next to the phone. She pointed at it causing Charlie to turn around.

"Is that Ruby?" Jodie asked as Charlie went over to the cabinets to retrieve the picture. She picked it up and handed it to Jodie so she could get a closer look at it. "Wow. She's grown up so much. I remember her as the curly haired little kid who used to pound on that piano in your front room for hours on end. Used to drive your mum and dad crazy", Jodie laughed as she reminisced about old times. Charlie laughed as she remembered exactly what her friend was talking about. "I hate to say it, but I can see a little bit of Grant in her. You know, cause they have the same wavy hair, skin tone..." Jodie trailed off as she continued to gaze at the photograph. Charlie flinched at what Jodie had just said. Feeling uncomfortable she made an excuse to exit the room.

"Um, I'm just going to make myself a coffee, do you want one?" she asked. Jodie replied with a simple nod of her head and with that Charlie made a beeline for the kitchen. She walked over to the kettle, filled it with water and sat it back down. _How could anyone think Ruby looks like Grant. She looks nothing like Grant. Or maybe I care too much about Ruby to see what's really there._ Charlie thought to herself. She cursed herself. How could she think such a thing. Sure fifty percent of Ruby's DNA came from Grant. But that was it. He had nothing to do with the person she had become. Once the kettle had boiled, Charlie made up two cups of coffee and headed back for the living. She was stopped in her tracks at the doorway by Jodie who was on her way out to meet Charlie in the kitchen. They just managed to stop themselves from colliding.

"So Charlie, what's this darling daughter of yours doing in bed at this hour of the day anyways?" Jodie asked. Curious as to why a teenage girl who lived by the beach would be indoors on a beautiful day. Charlie gasped realising she had never mentioned to Jodie about Ruby's illness. Before she could open her mouth, they were interrupted by the quite voice of the pale girl standing limply behind them at the doorway of one of the bedrooms. "Charlie", Ruby said as she clung to the door frame. Placing the cups down on the dinner table, Charlie walked over to where Ruby was standing and place and arm around her shoulder. Jodie was stunned into silence as she stared back at the young girl next to Charlie.

This was not the young girl she had seen in the photograph. She looked desperately ill. Her face was pale and her cheeks were sunken in. Her eyes were lifeless and she looked like she would collapse at any minute. She looked at Charlie hoping that her body language would give her some answers. But Charlie was focused completely on Ruby. After a couple more awkward silent seconds, Charlie finally spoke. "Rubes, you remember Jodie. One of my friends from back in the city. Went to school together", Charlie reminded her. Ruby looked at the woman and gave her a weak smile. "I'm sorry I don't mean be rude", Ruby started before turning back to face Charlie, "Charlie I feel really hot", she said.

Charlie placed her hand on Ruby's forehead and could almost feel the heat radiating from Ruby before she even touched her. "Oh Rubes you're burning up. You're getting a fever again. Go back to bed. I'll be right in with a cold towel and something for the nausea. Charlie watched on as Ruby made her in to her room. When she was out of sight she turned around to face a very quiet Jodie, who was leaning against the door frame of the kitchen. Before Jodie could even ask any questions Charlie began to speak.

"Ruby was diagnosed with leukaemia eight months ago. She has good days and she has really bad days. As you just saw. That's the reason we're moving to Perth. At least temporarily. She's going to undergo a bone marrow transplant", Charlie finished. Walking passed Jodie into the kitchen she got a bowl out of the press and began to fill it with cold water. She picked up the bowl and walked back into the living room and placed it down on the table and stopped. Looking back up at a tearful Jodie.

"I'm so sorry Charlie", she said as she went over and hugged her old friend. Charlie was received the hug with open arms, but was to distracted to allow herself to get lost in it. She pulled back and looked at the bowl and towards Ruby's room. "I should really go be with Ruby", she said not wanting to sound like she was pushing her friend out. Jodie nodded, picking up her handbag, understanding Charlie's need to be with her daughter. "No not at all. Go be with your daughter. I'll see you around again someday soon", she said with a smile. Jodie made her way to the door. Just before she went to leave she turned to Charlie. "I really hope it works out for Ruby in Perth". And with that she was gone.

Charlie took one last glance at the door before picking up the bowl and heading into Ruby's room. She placed the bowl down on the bedside cabinet and went over to Ruby's dresser to remove one of the towels they kept in Ruby's drawer for situations like this. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Charlie stroked Ruby's cheek. Grabbing a hold of the towel, she dipped it in the bowl of cold water and proceeded to dab it across Ruby's forehead. The teen let out a small grunt as the coldness of the towel touched against her skin. She could feel the soothing affect.

As Charlie continued to trace the towel across Ruby's forehead, she studied her daughter's features. What Jodie had said about Ruby looking like Grant hit a nerve. It wouldn't matter to Charlie if Ruby did bear a resemblance to her biological father. She loved Ruby for the person Ruby was. But she hoped for Ruby's sake that the resemblance for Ruby stopped at just DNA. And that was exactly it. That was the one thing Grant would hold over Ruby for the rest of her life. That they both shared the same DNA. What he did to Charlie was one night she will never forget. But sharing the same gene pool was something Ruby would have to carry around forever.

Looking at her daughter Charlie smiled. Even after Jodie's comments, she still couldn't see the resemblance. All she saw was and angel. Sent from above to help her get through the darkest period of her life, and to guide her to richer more fulfilling life. As a police officer, a defender of the people and a protector of the most precious thing she held so dearly. A daughter she would love the world over, from here to eternity. Leaning down she placed a long lingering kiss on Ruby's forehead and then lay down beside her. Instinctively, Ruby curled up into Charlie's side and wrapped herself up in the arms of a mother who truly loved her.


	13. Chapter 13

As she walked out of the surf club, Charlie was greeted by the warm summer sun beaming down form the bright blue skies. Today was the day that she and Ruby departed Summer Bay for Perth and Bianca and Leah had organised a going away party for them with all their close friends in attendance. It meant a lot to them that everyone cared so much. Even Charlie's colleagues and Ruby's school friends and peers had dropped by to wish them well. They were really enjoying themselves, until Charlie realised that Ruby had wandered off.

Gazing around, she tried to spot her daughter in the crowd of midday surfers and beach goers but wasn't having much luck. She was about to make her way towards the benches at the side of the club when she was stopped by someone calling her name from inside the building. Turning around, she saw Angelo approaching her in his usual black shirt and trousers. To this day she still couldn't believe that Angelo had been kicked off the force. But after much soul searching, he had decided to open his own restaurant and continued in his bid to get Charlie to make a serious commitment to him and realise that he was capable of caring for both her, and for Ruby.

Although they were still in a relationship, it wasn't how it used to be. Angelo tried to sustain the closeness they once shared, but quite often Charlie was too stressed or tired from taking care of Ruby to invest herself in her boyfriend. Every now and again Charlie wished she could fully commit to him, to a relationship. But her main priority was to be the best mother she could be to Ruby. Especially now in the given circumstances, and that was not something she was willing to compromise. Even if it meant neglecting Angelo and his needs. Something Angelo struggled with from time to time. He felt guilty for feeling somewhat jealous of the attention Charlie showered on Ruby, especially when he knew that poor girl was facing the fight of her life. But he couldn't help it. Angelo wanted Charlie and he couldn't handle the thought of not being with her.

"Charlie", he called out as he got closer to where his girlfriend was standing. Eventually he reached her, but he down trodden when he noticed the look of annoyance in her eyes. He was reluctant to talk to her, feeling the tension build the longer he stood there. But he had to get things off his chest before she left Perth. Especially since he felt like he was standing on uneasy ground as far as their relationship was concerned. "Charlie, we need to talk. About us?" he said as he tried to reach for her hand.

"Angelo I don't have time for this right now, I have to find Ruby", Charlie replied as she pulled both her arms away from Angelo's grasp. Looking up at him she could see the rejection written across his face. It upset her to know that she was hurting him, but she knew it wouldn't hurt half as much as telling hi the truth about how she was really feeling. While she stood there watching him trying to think of something to say to turn the situation around, she realised maybe it would be for the best if he did know the truth. Maybe then she could leave the Bay with a clear conscious.

"Charlie, I love you. I want to be with you. I want to build a life with you. We can move in together when you get back and we can start fresh and move past all this", he said with pleading eyes. And there it was. Charlie realised there and then that Ruby would always be an after thought where Angelo was concerned. Sure he got on with Ruby, and he realised she was part of the package when it came to being involved with Charlie. But it wasn't enough. Charlie wanted him to love Ruby like she was a member of his family. Not some after thought. And that wasn't acceptable to Charlie. Because to Charlie, Ruby was, and always would be, her whole world. The more she thought about what Angelo had said the angrier she got.

"So what, if this procedure fails and Ruby dies, I just come back Summer Bay, shack up with you, live happily ever after and forget about my daughter?" she said. As she continued to gaze at Angelo, she could see him realising his own mistake. He rubbed his hands against his head in frustration, knowing that Charlie was slipping further and further away from him. He had this sinking feeling not only in his stomach, but in his heart. When he refocused his gaze on Charlie, he could see it in her eyes that she was shattered his world.

"Angelo, we haven't been working for, a long time. Even before Ruby got sick..." she said but she was cut of by a hurt Angelo wanting her to just come out and say what he knew was coming next, "Just say what your thinking Charlie", he demanded. Looking out at the sea, her eyes glazing over, she turned back and continued. "I don't want to hurt you, but by staying in this relationship I'm lying to myself and to you. And that's not fair on either of us. I think it would be best if we ended this now and move on with our lives", Charlie finally finished.

Bowing his head, Angelo choked back the emotion that was caught in his throat. His heart breaking as he looked at the woman he loved before him, telling him that she wanted nothing more to do with. When he looked up he saw Charlie removing the necklace he gave her from around her neck. She looked at it for a second, remembering some of the good times they shared together and then placed it in his hand and closed it over. She leaned into him and gave him a long lingering kiss and then pulled away. "Goodbye Angelo", she said. He watched as she walked away. Leaving his life for what would be the final time.

As she walked away from the Surf Club, Charlie wiped away a lone tear that had fallen down her cheek as she walked away from her past and into her future. When she had finally composed herself she put her energy back into tracing down her daughter. It had been almost and hour since she had disappeared and Ruby still hadn't resurfaced. Charlie was beginning to grow anxious. She had never been separated from her daughter for this length of time without knowing where she was and who she was with. It worried her that Ruby would just take off on her own without telling anyone. As she continued on her trek, she was stopped again by the voice of someone calling out after her. She turned around and was surprised to see Romeo running towards her from the Surf Club.

"Hey, Charlie can I talk to you?" he asked as he stopped right in front of her. Charlie looked Romeo up and down. He seemed rather serious. Usually she would have stood there and listened to him no problem, but she was in too much of a rush to track down her daughter. "Romeo, I can't right now. Can this wait?" she asked as she turned to walk away from him. She had only gotten a few steps away from him when he spoke up again. "It's about Ruby", he said. His eyes softening as he said her name.

"What about Ruby?" Charlie asked concerned, thinking the worst. Why else would Romeo have run after her out of the Surf Club? Romeo looked down at the ground, his breathing becoming deeper as he became more nervous about talking to Charlie. "See, the thing is, I've liked Ruby a really long time. I care about her a lot and, well..." he trailed off trying to think of the best way to say what it was he was trying to say. Growing impatient Charlie shouted at him a little louder then she intended, "Oh for God sake Romeo will you spit out!"

"I LOVE HER", he shouted back. "I love her okay, and I need, I need her to know that before she goes to Perth", he said his eyes ablaze. He had spent so long bottling up his feelings for fear of hurting Indi. But he couldn't do it anymore. He loved Ruby too much and he couldn't bear the idea of her never knowing how he truly felt about her. Even if he never got the chance to be with her, he just need her to know that no matter what happened, somebody loved her and was willing to wait. He looked back down at the ground and then up again. When he did he noticed Charlie standing looking at him with sympathetic, slightly stunned expression. She scratched her forehead in confusion and the looked at Romeo again as she figured out what she wanted to say.

"If you love Ruby, really love her, then you need to tell her yourself. Because it means nothing coming from me and I don't want to fill Ruby's head with false hope and expectation", Charlie replied. She knew just by looking at Romeo that he was telling the truth. But as a mother, she had a duty to protect her daughter from being hurt, and that's what she intended to do. If Romeo loved Ruby he would tell her himself. But if he didn't, then it wouldn't be fair to tell Ruby something that wasn't true. Romeo looked at her understandingly. He knew she was right. He just wasn't sure if he was strong enough to tell Ruby how much he cared for her. With one last look Charlie turned on her heel and walked away. When Romeo turned around he was spotted by Nicole who was walking towards him.

"Hey, where'd you run off to? Have you been looking for Ruby too?" she asked. Then she noticed the serious look on Romeo's face and she grabbed his hand. Giving it a comforting squeeze as she tried to encourage him to talk to her about whatever it was that was bothering him. He looked her in the eye and decided to ask her advice. After all, she was Ruby's best friend, if anyone would know what he should do about his feelings for her, it would be Nicole. "I need to ask your advice on something. It's really important and I don't have a lot of time to make a decision". Nicole looked at him curiously as they walked back towards the Surf Club.

Standing by the fencing looking out over the beach, Charlie scanned the area. Just as she was preparing to give up and call out a search party, she spotted the familiar purple head scarf in the crowds. The sight of her daughter gazing out to sea, sending a since of relief through Charlie. She should have known where to find Ruby. The beach was her haven. It made sense that this was where she would escape to. Removing her sandals, Charlie made her way down the beach walk towards her daughter.

"There you are. I've been looking for you everywhere", she said as she took a seat next to Ruby in the golden sand. Turning to face her mother Ruby gave her a half hearted smile. "I'm sorry", she replied, "I didn't mean to run off. I just a little overwhelmed seeing everyone. I just needed some time to myself", she said, running her hand through the sand as she picked up a handful and allowed it to slip through her fingers. Charlie watched Ruby's actions. Call it mother's intuition but she could sense that Ruby wasn't as happy as she was letting.

"Rubes are you really alright?" she asked as she placed a comforting arm protectively around her daughters. Ruby looked up at her and then turned back to face the water. She nodded her head and then took her mother's free hand in her own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Yeah, I'm okay. I guess I'm just trying to get my head around the fact that we're actually leaving in a couple of hours. I'm really going to miss this place, and everybody in it. Especially Nic and Romeo. They've really been there for over the last couple of months".

Charlie nodded at her daughter understandingly. She felt the exact same about leaving. But she knew it wouldn't be for long and that they needed to go. Focusing on the task at hand made it a little bit easier for Charlie to come to terms with leaving Summer Bay behind. Even if it was temporarily. The mention of Romeo made Charlie feel a little uneasy as she thought back to the conversation they had just had. Although for now, she wanted nothing more than for her daughter to focus solely on getting better, deep down she hoped Romeo had it in him to tell Ruby how he really felt. Noticing the contemplative look on Charlie's face Ruby questioned her.

"Charlie, you okay? You seem lost in your own little world there", she said. Realising that she had been quiet, Charlie pulled Ruby closer to her and embraced her tightly. "Yeah I'm fine. Just taking it all in one last time before we go", she said, giving Ruby a small smile and planting a kiss on top of her head. Looking at her watched, she checked the time and began to shift. "Okay, we better get a move on or we'll miss our flight", she said as she stood up and helped gently pull Ruby up onto her feet. Taking one last look at the beach and the sea, the memories they had of their time spent there, they smiled. Clinging to each other, they made their way back to the Surf Club to say one last goodbye before leaving for the airport.

Two hours later, with their bags having been checked in and their tickets in hand, Ruby and Charlie hugged Leah and Irene one last time. "The best of luck darl, and we'll see you soon. I have every faith in it", Irene said as she cupped Ruby's hands in hers. "Yeah, we all do", Leah added as she gave the younger Buckton a kiss on the cheek. Charlie wiped away a tear that had escaped her and placed her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "We'll we better make our way to the departure lounge. We'll call as soon as we land", Charlie said to the women, and with that they waved them goodbye and made their way down the corridor, passing the security gate.

Once they were out of sight Irene and Leah turned on their heel and headed for the exit. Just as they were about to reach the door they saw a frantic looking Romeo and Nicole running towards them. Romeo pushed passed the crowd as he made his way up to the two older women. "Leah, Irene, where are they, have they left?" he asked waiting impatiently for an answer. Nicole finally caught up with him and stopped beside him waiting for them to answer. "Yeah, they just checked in they're heading for the departure gate now. You're a bit late", Leah said.

Looking at the defeated look on Romeo's face, Nicole grabbed his arm and pulled him after her. "Nic, what are you doing, they're already heading for the boarding gate. It's too late", he said trying to dig his heels in as she dragged him towards the security gate. Turning around Nicole stood toe to toe with him. "Look, my best friend is about to board a plane to Perth and we don't know if she's ever going to come back. Now I didn't break about fifteen different road laws for you to chicken out of telling her how you really feel at the last hurdle. Now come on", she said gripping his hand tighter. Realising she was right Romeo started to run towards the security check.

Walking up to the security guard Romeo leaned on the table as he grabbed his attention. "You got a ticket mate?" the guard asked. "No look I just need to get through for a few minutes. There's a girl just after walking through here with her mum and I need to talk to her before she boards that plane, so could you please just let me through?" he asked. The guard put his hand up and shook his head. "Sorry mate no ticket, no way through". Romeo looked at him pleading with the guard to let him through. "Please just give a couple of minutes...", the guard leaned on the table closer to Romeo and cut him off. "I said no". Getting annoyed Nicole stepped up to the guard and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

"Look mister, my best friend is the girl he wants to talk to. She's leaving for Perth to have a bone marrow transplant and we don't know if it's going to work or even if she's going to survive", Nicole felt herself getting very emotional at the last part of her sentence, but continued on. "Now he needs to see her to tell her that he loves her before it's too late", she said, the determination present in her eyes. Looking between the two teenagers, the guard gave up and allowed them through. "Thank you" Romeo and Nicole said in unison.

Running down the long stretch of corridor, Nicole and Romeo stopped to check the board to see what gate Charlie and Ruby were departing from. After a couple of seconds Nicole spotted it and they continued running. As they brushed passed the rest of the people crowding their way, Romeo felt like he had been running forever, as he became more and more anxious to get to Ruby. Just as he was about to give up he spotted Ruby and Charlie walking towards the gate. Unable to get through the crowd of people, he stood on the waiting chairs and shouted out the name of the girl he sought out.

"RUBY! RUBY!", he called out. Hearing her name Ruby turned and spotted Romeo standing on the chair waving his arms for her to see him. She turned and looked at Charlie who had a smile on her face as she saw Romeo. Charlie turned to Ruby and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Go on, we have a minute before we can board", she said. Ruby took the small backpack off her back and handed it to her mother who placed the straps on her arm. Standing back from the cue she walked halfway up to where Romeo was standing and watched on as Ruby finally made it up to where Romeo was stood.

"Romeo what are you doing? I said I'd call you when I landed in Perth", she said looking up into his big blue eyes. Romeo reached for her hands and cupped them in his own. "What I have to say can't wait. Ruby, I love you. I've always loved you. And I know this terrible timing and I know you probably don't feel the same way. But I couldn't let you leave without knowing how I feel", he finished, waiting for Ruby to respond. Realising that Romeo meant every word he said, Ruby broke out into a huge grin. "I love you too", she said.

When what Ruby had said finally registered with him, Romeo smiled. He leaned down and cupped Ruby's face in his hands as they lost themselves in a passionate kiss. A kiss they hoped would be the first of many. When they pulled apart Romeo placed a chain around Ruby's neck with a heart on it. "I'll wait for you", he said before giving Ruby one last kiss. With that Ruby made her way back over to her mother who had tears in her eyes. As did Nicole who had been watching the whole thing unfold. Ruby looked at the big smile on her mothers face.

"You knew didn't you", she said realising her mother wasn't at all surprised by what had just happened. Charlie nodded her head and took her daughters hand in her own. "I knew how he felt. I knew he had it in him to tell, I'm glad I was right", Charlie said. Smiling up at her mother Ruby had one more question. "Are you okay about me and Romeo?" she asked. Charlie placed a hand on the side of Ruby's cheek. "Rubes, as long as you're happy, I'm happy" she said. With that the two women embraced and then made their way to the gate. Romeo and Nicole watched on until both Ruby and Charlie were out of sight. Romeo smiled as he saw the woman he hoped would be his future, take flight.


End file.
